Handcuffs
by RukiaRocks
Summary: Toshiro Hitsugaya is replacing his late father as the 10th of the 13 captains who govern the 15th district. He gets his usual drunk kids and other things;but things get freaky when he meets that girl in a cow suit flicking him off as she runs a red light.
1. Arrested

Arrested

I laugh hilariously and wince as a member from squad 4 jabs be with a needle.

"They expect me to take _that _job?" I ask.

I looked at Rangiku who looked at my solemnly. I sighed and snagged the paper from her hand.

Right then, I guess you don't know me. I'm Toshiro Hitsugaya, young son of a Captain, on of the 13 that govern our district. I used to go everywhere with my dad, but just awhile back he died and everyone just seemed to accept me as the new Captain...It's not that I don't like the job, but I'm getting this ridiculous jobs that I know are not right for a captain, and I'm getting SO MUCH paperwork I can barely juggle that with school.

I normally get jobs like rescue a cat or bust some drunk kids for buying too young. But today, something happened... I got a new job and little did I know it would be the most idiotic of them all.

I open up the file and read down the profile.

Name: Ichigo Kurosaki

Age: 22

Sex: Male

Offense: red(light) runner

Details: Kurosaki lives on 2859 Burden street apartments. He is a doctor at his father, Isshin Kurosaki's, clinic. He leaves Burden through the left wing at 8:00 and regularly runs red lights through the streets Caress and Gulmess between the hours of 8:15 and 8:30 before making it to his father's clinic; most often he does not pay the tickets and has missed his court days 5 times.

License number: D13H02

Car: Red Mustang

I sigh. Of course. Another stupid job. It adds on to my stupid day and overall stupid and boring life. I leave the medical room and walk down the halls to the parking lot. I run my fingers through my white hair. And take a deep breath. Here we go again.

* * *

I make it over to Caress at 8:16 and park on the side of the street. Now comes the boring part where you wait for who knows how long. The key is to park where you can see the License Plate numbers of everyone who passes by.

It's 8:30 and no one has come. It looks like he took a different route today. I am about to pull out when I look behind me and see a Red Mustang driving up to the light. I look at the driver.

What the fuck!? In the drivers seat sat a man in a cow costume he drives right past me and flicks me off. How dare he! I turn on my siren and follow him. He speeds up and runs the light, another. Looks like we have a runner.

The License Plate has the numbers that correspond to the file; even more of a reason to follow him. I hit the gas and try to catch up with him. A freaking cow?! Could the world just blow me up instead of throwing all this BS in my face?!

We make it to the outskirts of the district were, what is now ruins, used to be the suburbs of Old Karakura. It's been awhile and he hasn't stopped, so I follow him for awhile, I don't know how long I will.

Finally It gets to be too much for me and since no one is out here I grab my gun and roll down the window. I take my aim and blow out their two back tires. The swivel and make black skid marks on the ground until I can see them breaking and slowing down.

I set my gun next to my communication device and walk over to the car. In the middle of no where it kinda freaks me out when I see their cow suit again.

"Sir, you're under arrest," I yell, knocking on their window.

They roll down their window and say,"Suck on my utter!"

"That's it!" I say. Before they can pull back up the window I reach in their car and press the unlock button. I force open the door and stop. The fabric splotched with black what covered in blood from their center torso down.

"What...How did you-"

"Ah shit!" They say and they pull off their cow mask.

Long black hair flaps out from under the white and a pair of two night blue eyes stare at me angrily.

He's a she? Calm down, it's not one of those she-men Rangiku was telling you about, it's just a mess up in the file. Nothing more. Hehe. Wait is he was a she does that mean she has breasts and a...Oh my god.

"Fuck this!" She yell and grabs my shirt, pulling me down.

Oh my god, it's a fucking she-man! I think.

"You better keep your fucking mouth shut and show me to your first aid kit. I know all you cops have that." She swallowed hard and that's when I noticed she was sweating and gripping her stomach hard.

"You're a girl, right?" I ask.

She stares at me for a long time and opens her mouth to say something but her eyes roll back and close, she looses consciousness and falls in my arms.

"Hey lady-" I stop myself, is she a girl? Or a guy? Should I call her and it?

Then I loose my balance and find the dry sandy ground drenched with..Her..His...Its blood. And before I can think I'm wrapping her wound in towels and putting her in my car. I don't know exactly what to do..But he'll... it..she..will die if I don't do something.

I put the car in reverse and prepare to back out into the streets.

* * *

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	2. Name

Name

"Hey...Hey!...Wake up!" I say.

She doesn't answer. Well at least I can tell she's alive by her annoying panting...

I take my eyes off the road for a moment and poke her. She doesn't stir.

"Open you're eyes...Open them!"

She scowls and shrivels her nose up...I turn on the radio and blare the speakers at max.

I sound nearly breaks my eardrum but succeeds in waking her, "TURN IT DOWN YOU FUCKING IDIOT!" She bursts out and sits up.

The girl glances around at her surroundings and down at her wound which is rapped in towels.

"Where am I...." Then she glances at me, "It's mister blowout..." Her eyes widened and turned for the door, I locked it.

"What are you fucking doing?!" She asks.

"I'm saving your fucking life!" I say.

"Let me out!" She screams.

"No!" I say.

"I'll tear you to pieces you asshole! NOW LET ME THE FUCK OUT!" She yells.

I'm quiet and don't reply. I keep my eyes fixed on the road and slowly the girls eyes start to dim. I can see from the corner of my eye she's fighting to stay away.

"You should rest," I say.

She pants hard and stutters, "I don't need," She takes a deep breath, "any sympathy from the likes of you..."

I leave her be for awhile and figure she'll fall asleep as soon as I stop talking.

* * *

"You should've just left me." She whispers.

"You're still awake?"

"I couldn't sleep if I tried. I _am _a criminal and I am a girl. Being in a cop car with a strange man makes it kinda hard. My guts might be spilling out but I have enough common sense not to fall asleep in a situation like this." She whispers.

I glance over at her and she seems to be a lot better. As if calming down has also stopped her bleeding and pace her breathing.

I was hoping she was a girl and not a she-man....That would've been akward.

"Where did you get that wound anyway?" I ask.

"Oh so now you care? Stay out of my business will you.." She says weakly.

"Looks like I'm at my limit." She says.

"You're what?" I ask.

"I...." She begins, "Look out!" I look at the road and there's this weird looking pink thing in the road. It rolls up in a ball like a rolly-polly and that's when I know it's an armadillo and I'm about to run over it.

"You idiot! Run away don't just curl up in the middle of the street!" I jerk the steering wheel to the right and back to the left, avoiding the thing.

"Nice driving." She mumbles.

"Shut up!" I say.

"What the~!" The girl and I say. We take in the sight before us and I break, making sure the car stops completely. I lean forward and look at the road.

Gone. All gone. As if it where blown away there was a 30 foot wide road.

"No! No! NOOOO! This can't be happening! Ichi-nii you jerk! Stranding me out here!"

"You know who did this?" I ask.

She looks at me and sighs, "It doesn't matter. Look there's no way back so there's no hope of you helping me," She unlocks her door and limps out of my car. I open my door and yell at her, "You'll die at this rate."

She smirks and looks back, "Cows have four stomachs, I won't die from loosing one."

Well I don't know why I care so much. And I should have left her, right? But I just can't do it, her outfit is soaked in blood and even if she acts tough, without proper care, she will definitely....

I grab my handcuffs on my waist pocket and as soon as she sees me pull them out she starts to stiffen.

She tries to pull away but I grab her hand and lock one cuff on top her hand and the other on to mine.

"What the fucking are you doing?" She asks.

"What do you think, I'm not going to let you die even if I have to drag you to safety."

And that's exactly what I ended up having to do. The first thing she did was sit cross legged on the ground and not move and inch. She knew I was bluffing when I said I'd drag her.

"What's taking you, get going. Didn't you say you'd drag me." The dirt in the air flew by and I realized the more she stayed down there, the more her wound would be subject to infectious matter.

"Get up." I say.

"Why should I," she pouts.

"Get up you stupid cow!" I yell at her.

"I wasn't the one who decided to lock us together!" She yelled.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just unlock the Handcuffs!" She yells.

"I won't do that." I say.

"Well then you better get us shelter real soon. Critters start to come out when the sun goes down, and it'll sunset real soon." She says.

I take her opposite hand-the one that is not cuffed-and pull her up on her feet, slinging her over my shoulder. Immediately she thrashes and kicks me but I can feel the blood quickly running onto my shirt. I know she's in trouble.

There must be some way to get out of here. I mean, it looked like a giant canyon that separated the roads, but there has to be a place where they touch, right? I'll just have to look for it.

* * *

No more than 30 minutes into my search did the girl fall asleep on me. And after that it took about and hour to scout out that there where indeed no exits. None at all. So now I knew what she said was true. We are stranded on basically an island that hand all connections to other land blown away.

This isn't good anyway. The girl's bleeding out and I don't know what to do, I can't look at the wound without letting her down and unlocking the handcuffs. But... I glanced over my shoulder, It's just like before. She was sweating now and panting really hard. Maybe she's one of those people that has phases in which they can block out the pain and let it be released....

I stared to get tired of holding her waist because she started to slide down further and further to the ground. So I stopped and switched her around, bringing her locked hand down and my hands underneath her. Immediately she wrapped her free hand around my neck and mumbled that same guys name, "Ichi-nii.." Probably her brother's nickname....Hehe, she's just like a kid. I bet he used to carry her like this.

I don't know where I was wandering to, but I knew if I didn't find some water, this girl and I would die within a few days. And who knows how long it will take for someone to find us. I keep in mind what she said about the animals coming out at night as I walk through the thick forest. It's not humid here, In fact it's as if all the trees where perfectly spaced; where they planted?

I can't help being fascinated by everything around me. I was very young when the town that replaced this district was taken over. This placed- stripped on all vegetation but these trees -must have been a park. The sandy ground outside of the forest does not stretch into it. Rather, the forest grass seems to be preserved. Where there's grass and trees flourishing, there's water.

I walk for awhile and finally can't take it anymore. I put the girl carefully on the ground and unbutton my police shirt. Underneath that, my undershirt was just as soaked in sweat in blood as my shirt was, so I just took it off. I was careful not to wake the girl as I picked her back up. Her breathing was steadying now and it wouldn't be much longer before she had another one of those outbursts or maybe that was just her real personality, not her way of dealing with the pain....

I watched her hair slouched down on my back and soak up with blood. And the more I kept walking, the more it irritated me, the fact that she kept on bleeding, and the fact that it only stopped when she woke up. I had to find water quickly too and I was starting to get a little dehydrated.

At last I made it to the near center of the forest and I could hear running waters. In what seemed like no time at all I made it to the body of water that kept these trees alive. A large lake with several little pools of water surrounding it.

The girl didn't show any signs of waking, so I decided to get all that dried blood off of me. I unlocked the handcuffs and stripped myself down. The water looked ok, there where no dead fish anywhere, and it was all pretty clear. Just to be sure she didn't run away, I handcuffed her hand to a branch and went back to the lake.

It was surprisingly shallow, all the water was the same depth...maybe because this was a man-made lake.

* * *

I scrubbed my shoulders down and dunk my head underneath the water. I came back up and shook the water out of my hair, clearing the drips out of my eyes. I've always taken a liking toward water because it makes you feel weightless in that way where-

I hear and scream and turn around hastily, "FUCK! FUCK! PUT THE AWAY YOU---WHAT THE FUCK!" She yelled.

When I turned around she yelled, "Ah! TURN BACK AROUND YOU IDIOT!" And just as hastily I turned back around.

"Ah..Sorry.."

"Gawh! My eyes! I think I'm blind! AH! You SICKO!" She exclaimed.

"QUIT SCREAMING!" I yell.

"STOP FLASHING ME!" She scream.

"Well if you say so.."I turned back around and reached for my clothes, "Ahh!! YOU ASSHOLE! Turn back around!"

"But I have to get to my clothes.." I say, turning back around.

She's quiet for awhile and then says, "Ok, go now! Change!" I glance behind me and she's like a child, her hands covering her eyes and her knees up to her face.

I get out of the water and I can see her flinch as she hears the water dripping. I grab my clothes and dry myself off with my blood-stained uniform. I put on my pants and say, "It's safe now Miss Purity," I tell her.

She sighs and mumbles, "That was a hell of a wake up call, why the hell where you..." She blushed.

"What, naked?" I ask her looking back from drying out my wet shirt.

"Shut up! Now, why where you like that?"

I narrowed my eyes, "You knocked out after awhile, so I had to carry you here."

I slapped my shirt against the air and continued to wrinkle out the water. She glanced at the blood all over it and on my undershirt.

"Oh..." She said looking away, "Well no one asked you to do that!"

"I already said I couldn't leave you. So just be quiet." I say.

She lets her legs down and then, noticing I'm in front of her she whispers, "Wait, you're in front of me which means you...Are not handcuffed to me.." She tugged herself forward happily, hoping to be freed and then she stopped, noticing that she was handcuffed to the tree.

"I'm not that stupid, now like I said, pipe down and conserve your energy," I tell her walking over to where she is and getting down on my knees.

"..The fuck are you doing?!" She says.

I close my eyes and sigh, "We need to get that wound of yours cleaned up,"

I grab the zipper of her suit and pull down, revealing bare skin. For a second I'm frozen and then I look up at her, "You're wearing clothes under this, aren't you?"

She scowls, "Why would I?"

"YOU IDIOT! WHY ARE YOU NOT WEARING CLOTHES?"

"THESE ARE MY CLOTHES! IT WAS MY DISGUISE!" She yells back and the gasps.

"Your disguise?" I ask curiously.

She looks away nervously and stutters, "I-It doesn't matter anyway, when the moon arises everything will return to the way it was," She says.

"What?" I ask.

"Just wait," She says.

* * *

And in a few moments the sky is red and setting fast. There's nothing more I can do, the best time to fish is at night, and near the water(and open area) is the best place to be if something where to attack.

I sit up against a nearby tree and say,

"What's your name anyway, Miss Purity?" I ask.

"Why would you want to know?" she replies.

"I don't know, I could give you a nickname if you'd like. Probably something to do with cows-"

"It's Karin."

"Excuse me?" I didn't quite catch what she said.

"My name's Karin. Karin Kurosaki and yours?" She questions.

Somehow that name seemed familiar and as I was about to say my name the little bit of yellow left in the sky faded and the world turned midnight blue.

"Looks like it's time." She looks out at the moon and gets up on her feet slowly. Blood starts to spill out of her stomach profusely and I watch her as she does the impossible- stands up, jerks the handcuffs off of the tree(by breaking the branch), and walks. Limping, she makes it over to the water. And places her foot over it.

"Wait, a minute..You can't get your wound wet you'll-"

She doesn't listen and moves her foot downward.

And I don't believe it but yeah, it happens. And you're gonna think I'm crazy, maybe even psycho; but I know what I saw.

Her bare foot touched the water and it rippled and seemed to accept her. She placed her other foot on the water and I'm not joking about what happened next, she walked on it! And no, this is not one of those Jesus things and No, I don't think she's some sort of angel. But what happens next makes me think that.

She's enveloped in light for a spit moment and when it leaves, she turns back around in her blood stained cow suit and laughs, "Well then it seems as though you've missed your chance to tell me your name!"

Her voiced sounded stronger and more confident. And I stood in awe before her for I could not comprehend what I just saw.

"Who the hell....Are you...?" I whisper.

"That's a good question," She asks, "I'm not sure myself. See ya Mr. Blowout!" She waves happily and turn around to leave.

I watch her run forward and suddenly sink in the water, "What the hell was that for!" She yells at the sky. And she turns back evilly and turns back, looking at me. She looks back up and shakes her head, "NO! PLEASE!~Don't put me with him-" She screams and turns back around in the water, walking back toward me.

* * *

"So let me get this straight, you're some sort of magical priestess that used to exist in old Karakura. You and the rest of your family are determined to resurrect the old town by getting someone from the districts to help,"

She nods and continues, "And that someone was one of my family's acquaintances; she had her memories erased recently. We hoped to drag her out of the police station by committing crimes. But instead we got you! And for some fucking reason my brother won't get me out of here and won't let me leave you! AHGR!"

I chuckle, "You expect me to believe that?"

"Well I'm healed aren't I?" She pulls down her ripped cow suit, were her bare skin surrounded by dried blood was clean and uninjured.

"But this whole story is just too incredible!" I say.

"You callin' me a liar!" She yells.

"No." I say, "You're just insane!"

"Oh you little ass!" She growls.

"You're such a child! Getting worked up by such a thing..." I mumble.

She narrows her eyes and me and turns her head away, "Hmph!"

I laugh, _that's even more childish._

She looks at me from the corner of her eye, "What?"

"Nothing," I say.

* * *

The night became more dark and I realized it probably would have better to stay near the car..But if we did that who knows how long we would've lasted without water, and I didn't know this girl was some sort of magic-wizard person..If I knew that I wouldn't have hiked up here because I thought she'd only get less and less moveable the more I waited.

She decided I was too "stupid" to comprehend what she was saying about being a priestess so we avoided the topic.

She tossed my shirt in my face. "Go find us some grub; I'm gonna wash up,"

I'm at one of those small ponds getting ready to shoot a fish when she asks, "So did you take some type of enhancement pill?"

I had set my eyes on a fish and my eyes focus on it, as I cocked the gun and aimed I asked, "For what?" I ask.

I was about to shoot when she says, "You know, for your penis,"

I fall over in the water, I get right up and exclaim, "W-what!"

"Well it was big so I just thought..."

"N-no, of course not!" I stuttered, blushing.

She laughed, "So then do you have any questions for me?" I heard the splash of water.

"Yeah...Come to think of it, how did you get that wound in the first place?" I asked.

She's quiet for awhile and then she states, "A, um...Person gave it to me right before you found me."

I could tell she was uncomfortable talking about it so I changed the subject, "Do you still want to know my name?"

I could hear the water stir and she yelled from a farther distance, "Hey! Can I use your shirt?"

"It's soaked in blood!" I say.

"Not as much as my suit!" She yells.

That's true, "Sure!" I yell back.

She muffles around a bit and I turn around because I know she's somewhere close now.

"Why are you in the water!?" She sighed and by the loudness of her voice she was right in front of me.

I still had not gotten out of the pond which I fell into. She had put my shirt on like some sort of dress. She buttoned up the shirt and tied the sleeves together and her chest. Her hair was soaked and as she spoke to me she wrung it out.

I didn't really care for what she looked like, but I'm given a chance now to look..So for some reason I do. Her hair was this long, board flat, jet-black color. Her eyes where the same blue as the night sky and they always seemed to be blocking out something or someone. I bet they reflected her thick head, nothing ever gets through to her, I guess that's what her eyes see too. She had pail skin and this button nose; about 5.1 I presume.

"Whatchya drooling at?" She asks.

"Oh....Um.." I clear my throat, "Nothing..." I look away.

She helps me out of the water and turns facing a tree while I dry out my clothes. She starts to braid her hair while she spoke, "So what is it?"

"What's what?" I ask.

"Your name."

"Oh um..It's um..Toshiro.."

"It's WHAT!?" She whirls around after I just finished taking of all my clothes.

"Oh FUCK! Not again!" She yells.

"Sorry!" I say.

"Put that away!" She yells and turns around.

She stands up and grips her hands tight, "What's the last name?"

I ask, "what?"

"What's your last name!?" She yells, facing away.

"My name is Toshiro..Toshiro Hitsugaya." I say.

"I see, I was hoping you weren't him..." She hides her face in her hair.

"I was thinking that I've heard your name some where. Do we know each other?" I asked.

She walked over next to me and I flinched, "Sorry!" I immediately said, but she ignored me.

She walked over to my wrinkled clothes and pulled out the then gun,

"What're you doing..." I ask.

She cocks the hammer and aims it at me, "You've changed a lot, but did you really think it'd stop me? Don't you think that's a little too naive, Shiro-chan?" She says. Pointing the gun at my face.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

**How'd you like it? Hope it met your expectation. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I still love um!**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**

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**THANKS YA'LL!**


	3. Past and Present

Past and Present

_Shiro-chan? She calls me the same thing Momo does..._I think to myself. As she points the steel toward me I'm trying to search my memory. Did I meet this girl in the past? Did I hurt her somehow? Definitely not enough to kill me over, I've never done anything that bad!! Have I? Ah! My brain is as screwed up as scrambled eggs and the more I think about her, the more I think I know her and the more I think I'm trying so hard to remember her that I couldn't possibly have done anything to her that bad because I don't remember doing it!

"W-what?" I manage to say.

She's experienced with a gun, I can see, because it doesn't shake in her hands. She's definitely not afraid to use it either.

"You did this to yourself! You remember don't you? I promised to kill you, no matter what state you where in. I'm only living up to my words."

She brought the gun up closer to her head and closed one eye. Her eyes lightened a bit and she hesitated. I'm frozen and have no idea what to do, I just stare at her and that seems to spook her because she says,

"Stop staring at me with those innocent eyes! I makes it harder to kill you!" She takes the gun down.

"Oh, so I'm supposed to make it easier? No thanks, I'd like to live to see my grand-kids please," I say.

She looked away, "You— It's not as if I want to do this, you know..You," She looked back at me with furious eyes, "You betrayed us! Everyone! How dare you! To even want to live- do you have any shame?"

She repositions the gun and aimed, "But I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Shut up!" She said, "Just shut up! This is hard enough for me-" She shut her eyes tight and shook her head.

"Then why are you doing it?" I asked.

"You...You don't deserve to live! You don't! You shouldn't have even come out of hiding, you knew I'd do it..And then..If I kill you I'd have to kill myself, I just.."

She put the gun down on the ground and shook her head, "No, this isn't right. We fight for justice, so I can't just kill you not even knowing your side of the story."

She sits on the ground, Indian style, and faces me, putting her hands on her knees, "So then, depending on your answer determines whether I kill you or not. Choose your words wisely,"

She focused on me and then her eyes slid down, "Ah! Fuck, not again! Gwah! I swear I'm going to go blind! Change first, please!"

I eyeball the gun and wonder if I can snatch it while I'm getting up, she notices I'm looking and grabs the gun, "Don't even think about it!"

It's amazing how quickly the balance of power changes. I had all the control at one point, and now she's ordering me to change at gun point. Wait, if she was some type of priestess couldn't she like kill me or blow me up or curse me? Maybe I was thinking about the priestesses in those animes like Inuyasha. I suppose all she could do what magically heal herself. Which is pretty fucking amazing if you ask me.

I put on my pants again and walk back over to her. I sit on the ground in front of her and begin, "Before I tell you anything I need you to tell me who the fuck you are. I mean, I have no idea if you're a-"

She points the gun at me, "You first,"

I laugh, "That doesn't really frighten me anymore because you won't kill me with it, on top of that I have nothing to tell you, I have no idea what you're talking about so-"

"Don't lie to me! You always lie," She takes the gun and takes a shot, POW.

It skims my arm and immediately I can feel the pain shriek inside me. It stings so bad that I put my hand over the wound and feel the warm blood run all over my fingers.

"I won't kill you- but I can sure as hell make you suffer!" She says.

"What do you mean I'm lying to you? I really don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know you,"

"I'll shoot you again if you say that one more time,"

I looked at her seriously, "If I'm not telling the truth, why was it I asked for your name?"

She thought about it and said, "Well we both have changed since we where young,"

"Wait, we where young? How young?"

She snaps, "I'm asking the questions-"

"Why are you even trying to kill me? I saved your life-"

"You little ass! You already killed me the day you ran off and left everyone in the settlement alone! You made Rukia the way she is, you-"

"Why is it that you think I'm so evil? I haven't even done anything! And if I am _that _evil, shoot me. Go ahead."

I open my arms out, "Go ahead, do it, hit the heart, the head,"

She hesitates again and again puts the gun down, "It's not as simple as just killing you! I gave my heart to you, you can't just-"

All of her words became a blur after she said that. Were we in some type of relationship? Was 'gave my heart to you' symbolic or was it some weird magical thing.

"Wait, we were something like...Lovers?"

She looks at me with wide eyes and her mouth hangs open. She smiles and looks down, "So that's why he stuck me down here..." She whispered.

She glares at me and throws the gun beside me.

"You would've never said that if you hadn't lost your memories."

Everything struck me in a second, what the hell? She's kidding right. I've always wondered what it'd be to forget my memories and have everything in my life be uncertain and everything I know be questionable. I've always wondered what it'd be like- but I didn't want it to actually happen!

"I was 8 years old when I first met you...You where..Training as an ice Mage and majoring in water classification. When I met you, you where about 10 when you met me in the student council. We where each presidents of our class, but you had excelled farther than I had and in an opposite element, so we really never did see each other," She told me. She decided to tell me everything from what she knew. And hopefully I wouldn't ask questions. Too late, I'm asking one.

"So wait- you met me in school? Is it like some weird magic school?"

"Well it's sorta-"

She eyeballs my wound and her eyes dim, "I'm so sorry. I wish right now I was skilled in healing..."

I forgot, wow, I can't even feel the pain anymore, maybe that's because- my eyes widened, the blood was spilling out of the wound.

She crawled over to me and pulled her hair over on her shoulder, looking at my wound intently.

"Well you still are immortal, even if you lost your memory.." She laughs, "It would've made you knock out from the blood loss if you didn't have the-" She glances up at me and realizes I'm mystified by what she just said.

She sighs and said, "You regenerate a lot faster than most of us is what I mean, you're not immortal."

She looks around for some sort of bandage and sighs, "Well I can try healing it, but I might warp your arm if I try so..On second thought, let's not take the chance."

She grabs on a sleeve of my shirt and tears off a strip of fabric. She kneels down and ties it around my arm. It immediately is soaked with blood.

"The main thing is keeping it covered. If you don't look at it, your flesh regenerates faster. That's what I've learned."

She sat back down and continued explaining. From everything she said and all the questions I asked I concluded this much; I was this girl's...Scratch that- Karin's(got to get used to calling her that) childhood friend. We grew up together in the same middle school but after a year of being able to talk to her, I was excelling so much I was able to skip the rest of middle school and continue to the advanced learning. Both academically and with my 'magical' skills I was a genius.

Frankly this is all too ridiculous. I've always been just a normal kid subject to strange events. Like, for example, a person in a cow suit happening to fly by and flick me off leading me to an isolated area and eventually to the climax of my story.

And that's when it dawned on me...Wait..I'm childhood friends with Momo..Is that fabricated? Does this girl-Karin know her?

"Does the name Momo ring a bell?" I asked.

"No, why?" She asked.

"No reason.." I mumbled.

"So then you understand everything so far?"

I nod.

She then went on to tell me that she had a brother named Ichigo. He married this girl named Rukia and she was the one who-

"Wait Rukia? As in Rukia Kuchiki? The princess of the district?"

She laughed and began, "Well I guess so you...You sold her out to the capital...And after that we supposed her memories were erased because she ended up doing what she hated; becoming a police officer. That's what led me to dressing up in that ridiculous costume and driving back and forth between red lights for days. I wanted to get her attention but instead I got you, as I said before. Hey wait- it just dawned on me! WHY DID I HAVE TO WEAR THE FUCKING COW SUIT?!"

She jumps up and yells at the sky, "AH! Ichi-nii what did I ever do to make you do this to me?"

"So what's your brother's ability?" I ask.

"Teleportation, lightning type..Ah...He can shape shift...Moderate regeneration abilities."

She lost me at teleportation. Everything about what she's saying is totally insane. But if I don't nod my head, get it, accept it, and ask more questions, I'm sure she'll blow my head off with my gun or whatever else she can find.

Somethings I didn't get more than others but here's the overview of the hours she spend explaining things to me: Children, like me, that where born in old Karakura had something like "high spirit energy". Not everyone knew about spirit energy or the spirit beings that surrounded everyone.

But as time went on, people started to figure it out. Even those with "low spirit energy" knew about it, and eventually scientists caught on. As things progressed the majority of Karakura could feel something coming on and the spirits around then where restless.

So with some debate Karakura seceded the title of 'a town' and adopted the title of 'a school' and the whole town became a training center for those with uncontrollable spirit energy. She and I where around 5 when this decision was made.

Behind the scenes the government was trying to make sense of spirit energy and how it would affect the entire world if this were to spill out. People would be placed on their abilities and talent rather than money and eloquence. This, evidently, did not please them at all. Immediately after the secret of spirit energy leaked out into the world governments began to change.

First, all cities where destroyed. Second, they were turned into districts that followed the government without fail. If they didn't, all resources would be taken from them and they would literally starve until they submit. Third: All citizens except government officials had their memories erased so that they could no longer use their powers. The only exception were the government officials that where residents of Karakura; they had their memories erased as well for they believed spirit energy was a positive discovery.

Obviously, Karin and her family, along with a few others, escaped their fate. I submitted to it for reasons unknown. She said, "I don't know why you did it, you just ran off and took Rukia with you." This is like some weird mystery like what you read in books. And supposedly I'm the main character who's also the mystery in the story.

I can't...I just don't get any of it. No way, no way I could, she could, our government could, anyone could, do something as unbelievable as this.

"Woo! That's more than I've talked in 5 years! So then, if you don't mind I'd," She yawned, "Like to get some rest so.. No more questions for tonight!"

I stutter, "Wait a second, I still have more-"

"Dude, It's like 4 in the morning!"

She looks around and sighs, "No place to sleep?"

I shoot up, "Oh shit! I forgot to get food!"

She laughed, "No big deal, we just need a place to sleep."

She snaps and on the tip of her finger was the bright sparkle of fire.

_**Karin's POV**_

God this all just too amazing! Toshiro was supposed dead! This all happened within a day. And I just can't stop...Think about everything! I've thought about everything from my brother's planning to trap me here to my past with my sister-in-law, Rukia. But I think about..Most of all..For some reason...Him.

I run my hands through my hair and sigh, _dealing with him is impossible. When we where young we __fought all the time and it's the same now. I just want to strangle him for asking so many questions!_

I snap up fire and flick a bit off the tip on my nail, at level 3 so it can still burn long enough to hit a fish in water. I move my fire toward a fish and snap in that direction, the fire that went out upon impact in the water lit back up and shot in the water for the fish. Each time it went out I replenished it until it made its way to burning the fish. I stepped into the water and picked up the fried fish.

I took it out of the water and through it at Toshiro. He jumped back and stuttered, "How the hell did you do that! It's still wet!"

I smirked, "You used to me able to beat me at anything, including survival skills. You could freeze this whole lake and only leave the fish in it untouched in their own singular pools of water..."

I glanced back and found him again, wide-eyed. I sighed, _he's even more annoying when he's a stupid, clueless, idiot._

"You know, you sigh a lot."

I laugh, "You really think so? Maybe it's just because it's the only way to express how exhausting you can get, I wonder if it was this way with your teachers."

"Hmm?" He asks.

I shake my head, "Never mind.."

I glanced back at his arm which he was fiddling with. You know, now that I think about it, he would've just frozen the bullet..It makes more sense now that he lost his memories. I shouldn't have acted on my emotions like that. Karin, if you keep doing this to yourself you'll never be able to control your powers correctly. Examine the situation before you act.

_How long will it take,_ I thought,_ Ichi-nii will you even come for me? Do you intend to keep me here until you teach me something? Is this part of my training._

I snuff out two more fish and figure that's good enough. And then I hear something ringing in my ears. I turn my head and see the two eyes of a cat. She flickers her tail and narrows them. I hear the ringing again. That is definitely not a natural animal...It's a person shape shifting. Shape shifting was developed by the only master in it...

"Yourichi-sama!" I say.

**Author's Note: Not any humor really...In this chapter it was all about explaining. I'll be sure to pick up the humor next chappy ^.^ **

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	4. Life Sucks

Life Sucks

"Yourichi-sama!" I said happily.

The cat stepped out of the shadows of the forest, "My, my, look who's in shambles? The princess of fire getting banged by the prince of ice, now I wonder what your kids will look like," She laughed.

I ignored her comment and smiled, "Did you come to take me back to the settlement?"

Her yellow eyes seemed to taunt me as she opened her whisker covered mouth and waited to reply; she closed her mouth and sat on the ground, swishing her tail from left to right.

Again I asked, "Are you?"

She chuckled slightly and replied, "I am here to observe."

My eyes widened, "No way, no way you can't-"

"Hey girl! Can I use your cow suit to as material for a shelter or something. I wanted to ask beca-"

Toshiro walked up behind me and I whirled around.

"Hey, where you talking to someone-"

"Toshiro get out of here!" I push him away toward the lake and I heard Yourichi laugh.

I stopped and glared back at her, Toshiro glanced around and asked, "Did I you hear something. Karin? Karin are you listening-"

"I thought he'd lost his memory! I came here to be sure before we came a rescued you,"

"You mean?" Karin began.

"Yes, we're getting you out of here."

Toshiro spun in circles, "Who's there? Am I hearing things?"

I grabbed his arm and he stopped.

I took a deep breath and smiled, "This is our..Well _my_ savior, Yourichi!"

I fold my hands out in Yourichi's direction.

"Where?" He asks.

I sigh, right, he doesn't know, "The cat,"

And here it comes..He replies, "The cat, you're retarded that's just a-"

"That's right. I'm right down here," Yourichi says.

Toshiro stares down at the black cat with wide eyes and walks over to a tree calmly. Then he begins banging his head against a tree.

"Why is my life like this?" He asked.

Yourichi and I stared at him for a bit before I turned to her and asked, "So can we go now?"

"What do you mean? Hitsugaya-kun hasn't gathered his things yet."

It took a second to hit me but when it does I feel like screaming. Do they intend to let him back in our settlement after he did?! Do they remember? Do they understand what happened?! I want to leave him here. So why not?

"You can't be serious!" I say.

"Well did you expect the council to just ignore the sudden appearance of the former Ice Mage Prodigy? It's even better when his memories are erased because now they can start over and train him from the beginning! He'd never have to know about what he did and we can get a skilled Mage back in our settlement!"

I argued, "But we can't erase what happened! It's just unfair to-"

"Don't let your personal feelings on the matter cloud this issue. This a brilliant opportunity to gain support to defeat the enemy! We need him, and you know it!" Yourichi told me.

I looked away, "I know...He's always needed,"

_Toshiro's POV_

Ok so I know that there's something wrong with a talking cat, but your brain, like mine, will melt away after you hear this. Alright, so we're in the forest right, the girl, the cat, and I, and the girl and the cat start talking; the girl yells at the cat and the cat calms her down, they mumbled something and them it's like Poof! The second she drags me out of the forest the road is there! And on the road where 2 saddled horses.

I stood in awe before the repaired road as the girl snapped her fingers in my face, "Hey, we have to get going soon,"

"Right," I say as we make our way over to the horses.

The girl...Karin immediately trots up to the palomino horse and strokes his forelock. She grabs its reigns and lodges one foot into the stirrup of the saddle and lifting herself up.

"What are you waiting for? Get on," She says, preparing the horse by steering it slightly from let to right.

I stare at the saddle and tilt my head slightly, peering over the black horse's figure. Then I turn to the girl and say, "You expect a city boy to know how to ride a horse?"

She almost fell off her horse when she heard me say this and when she regained her footing she yelled, "You used to beat me at horse races! Stupid! You know how to ride a horse! And you're NOT a city boy!"

The black cat jump up on the saddle and then on the girl's shoulder. It swished its tail and made it's self comfortable on her. While this was happening the girl nagged, "Don't get on the saddle yet! You haven't even-Ah!"

She jumped off her horse and sent the cat flying to the ground. It landed on it's feet quite ungracefully and glared at her, "Sorry!" She said.

She shot me a look and snapped, "Look, before you ride a horse be sure acknowledge its presence and thank them for the free ride. Stroking their head is a way I do that."

"But it's just a horse, it won't understa-"

She shook her head and put her finger to her lips, "This horses are different," She whispered through gritted teeth.

Oh great...Don't tell me there.

"No no, please go one, I'd like to know what he has to say about us." And sure enough they talked, just like the cat does. Ok, this one what a little bit more expected so I had time to prepare. I still flipped out though and I said, "the-there the same as the cat!"

"Well not really, Yourichi is just mascaraing as a cat now whereas this is these horses' true forms. They- all horses are granted speech when they are 2 and sent to the academy where everyone gets a horse to cast the gift of speech spell on them. Of course, the academy no longer stands so..These are the last of the surviving experiments, the horses, I mean...."

I kinda didn't want to think about what she was saying but she managed to show me how to get on the saddle. I saw, from the corner of my eye, the cat moving deviously underneath the girl's horse. It used its claw to cut away the buckle on the saddle. And as the girl was walking away I said, "Wait a sec, the buckle thingy-"

"Oh don't worry about that, it won't come undone unless you mess with it so-"

She got on the horse and upon getting on the saddle she swayed left as she and the saddle fell. She snarled at the cat who was chuckling happily.

"Fine then!" She said, "I'll ride without it!"

She removed the reigns from the horse's mouth and grabbed the top of its neck, she jump up on the horse and gazed back at me, "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be..." I held onto the reigns and gripped them in my hands, I suppose this was like driving a car except it's alive..You have to be more considerate and since these things can talk you can perhaps just tell them where you want to go..Either way, I just couldn't stop cursing my life. I hate world. And I still and probably always will hate my worthless, stupid self for not leaving the girl when I had a chance.

_Karin's POV_

With little difficulty we made it to the waterfall. Behind which was the entrance to the settlement. It'd been an hour since we left the forest and Toshiro fell over on his horse and fell asleep. I suppose the "city boy" the government raised couldn't handle the fast pace life of one of us.

The waterfall, of course, was part of a river, it was naturally made that way and behind it stone wall. Only with the seal of a member can you get it and only with one can you get out. The seal is a ring given to anyone born or in the settlement. You just punch the wall with the insignia of the ring and the cave tunnels that lead to the settlement will appear.

We made it up behind the waterfall and carefully I lead my horse, then Toshiro's behind it through the slippery surface of the in-between region of the water falling and the rock wall. I counted the rocks, 5 to the left, 8 down, and 1 right...There! I made sure I hand my insignia pointed right by twist my ring from left to right. I then gave the wall a good whack, one that gave my hand a bit of a hard time. The fake wall was dissolved and the horses and all where let through to the caves.

Beyond the cave tunnels was the underground settlement. The small trading market, the gathering center, and housing. Above where tunnels that led to the surface of the top of the waterfall, 100 acres cleared in a circle and surrounded by thick forest, the training area. Another 5 miles away is another 10 acres cleared in the forest for the horses to live. There is also a tunnel that leads to this.

And because we cannot risk being discovered everything looks as natural as possible, horses cannot speak in the pastures, the training center will be repaired, healed, and all equipment will be taken in after use, and of course, no buildings above ground are allowed. Thus, we all live beneath the ground.

The sun no longer cradled Toshiro in warmth and he stirred in the cold darkness of the cave. He woke up and blinked a few times, "We're in a cave..." He says subconsciously.

"Gee, you think?" I say.

He props himself up and finds he's on a horse so when he yawns and leans back, he tips off the horses back and lands on the ground. I laugh hilariously and turn forward, focusing on the navigation of the trip. I ask my horse, "You tired?"

He grunts, "Not on your life."

I look left a right and decide this is the place. I hop down to take a short break and again, when Toshiro gets off his horse, he falls.

I laugh at him again as Yourichi hops of my shoulder. I watch as her brings his hand up to stroke the back of his head, he probably bumped it- His arm...The one I shot...It's...Healed..

And for some reason I remember when I had gotten my tests for healing ability done:

"_Daddy, why is it Yuzu and me have to get cut?" My young self asked my father._

"_Because the doctors need to know how fast your boo-boos heal up."_

I couldn't comprehend why they'd hurt Yuzu and I for such a trivial reason but it wasn't until later that I figured out that little cut on our finger was to test our regeneration ability. Some are like normal people, and some are like Toshiro- near immortal in the fact they can heal themselves in just one breath if they focus on relieving the pain. Of course, Toshiro didn't even know how to do that and yet he healed as fast as I do when I concentrate, naturally.

I walked over to him and ripped off the bandage on his arm. He looked at it once, then twice, "Whoa! It's healed! Look at it! Look!"

"Now who's the child?" I chuckle.

_Toshiro's POV_

We traveled underground for awhile and while we rode the girl told me all about the settlement. The way it was made, the rules, and the people. She also warned me to keep away from certain people who give me a look because they most likely know what I did. What I did meaning the action I must have committed before loosing my memory that caused this girl to try and kill me.

I kinda wonder what I did but I don't want to know because it might turn out like in the movie or books where they get that major memory and everything unfolds and they become the same psycho as before...Anyways I just wanna stay myself and not fade into some other person I was...If that makes any sense...Cause it barely does to me..

We make it through the tunnel where beyond I can see fire light. When we reach the end of the final tunnel it seems as though There's another world beneath the ground. The settlement was not a muddy, shrouded is darkness place like I thought, but a city like any other. Instead of the muddy facades of a muddy dome, there was the night sky staring down of us. I know this is just some sort of spell because when it ends, crystals begin. Everywhere green crystals pop up in the town and they seem to glow in order to light the town.

The buildings are squished together in the center and there's a huge space in the middle with a fountain. On the outskirts of the tall buildings where spaced out houses. They where moderately old and in the style of the 70s. And beyond the huge space was what I suppose was the town hall, beyond that, many tunnels that led to other places.

The girl led us down the steep hill that led to the town. And finally, as we drew closer, I could see people, a ton! And I knew what this was; a marketplace. Shops where set up everywhere with vendors calling out to people. Women and their children where buying food and in the streets where people snapping up fire like the girl did.

As we passed a vendor he was yelling, "Finest training potions in the settlement! Guaranteed to enhance your training abilities ten fold!" The man snapped his fingers and brought up fire, "See? With this potion you can use elemental techniques-"

His voice could not longer reach my ears as we pressed onward. As the girl had said, some people glared at me And I didn't know if it was because I was an unknown guy with no shirt on prancing into their neighborhood or if they where people that remembered what I had done. Either way I got shot nasty looks.

"What is a princess doing with a man like that?"

"Is the boy important?"

"Why is the princess stripped of her clothing?"

"Is he from the outside?"

I heard people say as I passed by.

"What's this about you being a princess?" I asked the girl.

"It's just what they dubbed me because of my skill level with fire. My full title is Princess of fire meaning I'm the princess of my element. Each time an old princess dies a new one is elected. I am the second princess of fire and the princess of ice was Rukia. There are princes too but I'd rather not talk about them.."

"But didn't you say you where a priestess?" I questioned.

"Well that's a different story.." She said blowing the topic off. I suppose there was something sensitive in that she didn't want to talk about.

The cat on the girl's shoulder stands up and moves to the top of the horse's head. Everyone that witnesses the cat clears away at it's sight. The cat turns back and says, "We're heading for town hall,"

the girl nods and says, "What do they plan to do with him?"

Is that "him" meaning me?

"We'll see when we get there." The cat says.

"I hope they punish him for what he's done." She mumbles through gritted teeth and then she slaps her reigns down on the horse and we break off into a gallop down the streets which where now stripped of life, all who had seen the cat fled.

When we made it to the building beyond the fountain the girl handed her horse off to a guard and told me to do the same. With some difficulty I got down off the horse and gave it to another guy and as the grand wooden doors opened, the girl brushed off some of the dirt on the t-shirt she was wear(as it'd help, she was filthy and as I said before, in a t-shirt) if she was going to meet leader's she'd have to looker her best, I suppose.

As we walked through the doors I found all off the ground covered in marble tile and the inside of the town hall looking more like the inner of a palace. Everything was cloaked in velvet and white. Large red drapes to cover the tall windows, antebellum style couches and chairs and a white staircase made of cherry wood. A grand chandelier was above the whole scene, sparkling faintly.

"Welcome home!" I heard a sweet voice yell happily.

And out from a hall to the left of the staircase came a girl with short, light brown hair, who ran up to the girl and hugged her tightly.

"Hey, sis, been awhile," the girl said, stroking her hair.

I found the girl with the light brown hair was crying when she looked up from hugging her. She stuttered, "I heard you got blind sided by the enemy and...You got injured and....I was so worried about you!"

She hugged her again and then looked up to see me looking at their little moment, She looked at me with wide eyes and then she stepped back and examined the girl.

"Why are you in a shirt, sis? And why does this guy have no shirt on- Oh! Is he your boyfriend?"

The girl blushed and stuttered, "N-no! This is-....A friend of mine..." She looked away and glared at me, saying, follow my lead.

"Ah...Yeah, she's my friend..." I say.

"Really? Then why is it she's naked except for that shirt and your shirt is what's covering her up?" The girl's sister asked.

"Umm..." I begin, "He can't be my boyfriend because he's umm..He's gay!" the girl says.

"What?" I ask.

"Ah yeah, he's homo, right?"

She glares at me and right as I'm about to say 'no I'm not' she jabs my stomach with her elbow and I mumble, "Yeah, I'm gay," as convincingly as I can, leaning over and gripping my stomach.

The cat dismisses the girl's sister and we wait for a bit before these weird old guys come out...One with blond hair...One with a weird goat-face looking haircut...And then next to them was this young dude with orange hair. Did he dye it?

"Dad!" The girl says. But as she runs up to him he shakes is head and she steps back and takes a bow, "My apologize, commander, I could not retrieve Kuchiki but I have brought Hitsugaya here. You must forgive me for being late, however, it is of not fault of my own-"

"I understand, Princess. That was a set up by Ichigo in order to insure Hitsugaya was safe to bring back to the settlement,"

"So it was you!" She says looking up but then back down.

Wait a sec? Did she just call him dad? And why am I some type of item?

"We have decided to reward you for your admirable actions. You will be given one final task before becoming vice-Roy of the settlement's warfare. And after the task is done you will receive the said position which you so desired."

She looked up happily as if she'd forgotten everything about the forest incident and before bursting out she nodded and said, "Thank you,"

"And as for you, Hitsugaya. Despite having your memories erased we of the settlement's warfare instructors have found it would be more beneficial to punish you rather than kill you."

_Gee, thanks. _I think. _I've been decided more useful alive than dead. That was a hard decision._

"Since we where originally planning to have Rukia Kuchiki be our spy. We have decided your punishment be going back to your district and reporting back to us all information on their and the government's weaknesses. At no point in time will you apprehend sending us any information, if you are discovered doing you, you will be killed. And also we will train you to re-attain your powers which you had lost; you trainer will be our general, Kisuke Urahara." He explains, the man with the blond hair bows slightly.

"Completing this mission will earn you your old title as Prince of Ice and be awarded the insignia ring of the settlement."

I sigh, I guess I'm being forced into doing this then..

"And Princess of fire, your final task is to travel with Hitsugaya and do as you did in the outside world; disguise yourself as a citizen and watch Hitsugaya's move. You will eliminate him if necessary. Death is not preferred of him, but if it is vital, you have the right. Accepting this is your choice and if you do you will be granted Vice-Roy."

She looked up, her eyes wide and she shook her head. "I...I can't put up with him he-"

"Remember, Karin, do not let person matters cloud your judgment." The cat said to her.

Karin sighed and said, "I accept the task with honor and grace and vow to complete it to the best of my ability if that mean death then so be it. For the honor of Karakura and the resurrection of the new world to come." She recited this like a robot.

And gloomily she walked turned around for the doors, "Karin, you need to change and don't forget to give your dad a hug," The man said.

She turned around and walked upstairs, "You don't deserve to be hugged. Try not to ask for one after you just destroy the one good thing in someone's life!" She opened the door to a room and slammed it behind her.

The black cat walked over to the man with blond hair and sat on the ground, "It's been that girl's dream, becoming the vice-Roy and her task is so simple, yet so very hard..."

"Why is that?" I whispered.

And then I saw the man as well as the other guy with the orange hair staring at me.

"If I had it my way I'd kill you on the spot," The orange-hair guy growled.

"We cannot penalize those who are unaware of their crimes." The guy with a goat-face hair cut said.

And that's when I know whatever I did before I lost my memory was horrible and that is why everyone was doing what the did. And now it doesn't really seem like I'm being punished, more of paying off a debt, and for some reason I thought I needed to, even though I didn't know what I did.

**Author's Notes:**

**Again, I was hoping to put more humor in it, but I just spit it out of my mind like this and I'm hoping next week will be more humorous..But we'll see.**

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	5. Bitter Cold, Scorching Hot

Bitter Cold, Scorching Hot

Something about this fool kinda makes me laugh. I could kill him in five second..I could avenge her just like that. So then, why am I sparing him? Is it because of that look in his eyes? That innocent glimmer; he never had that look. Not when he knew everything, not when he was an arrogant brat. Not when he beat me at everything. But still, that look on his face should not have made me put that gun down, that time I almost killed him. Was it because he has my heart? Was it because of his relationship with me? Was it because I don't completely believe he's the one who...Was it because of what he said that day?

"What did I do..Back then, I mean, before I had my memory," Toshiro asked.

We where sitting on the stones next to the waterfall. We're outside in the training grounds, this is where I intend to give him the basics so he can at least have some powers before we go on our mission. That way he won't be such a burden...

"You shouldn't ask me that. I don't exactly know what happened. But it's not supposed to be spoken about.." I say throwing him a water bottle.

"How do people expect me to remember or do anything when I don't get any answers to who I am," He complains, "So are you going to train me or something, is that why we're her-"

"You're not suppose to remember!" I yell instinctively.

I watched his eyes widened, this must be very confusing for him.. I turn away from him and begin, "Yes, I'm going to train you to recover your powers..If you still have any left..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well rumors say you had your powers removed, but if that where true then I would've been given permission to kill you." I said, digging in the weapon chest.

"What weapon do you want?" I ask.

"I don't know...Any guns?"

I grabbed the gun and tossed it at him. I smiled. He always preferred a sword when we always spared, and he's going to figure out that's no ordinary gun. I always had the gun too. I remember the day we made a bet that if we switched weapons I could beat him. Though I had never used a sword and he had never used a gun, and the gun being harder to master, I thought I had the advantage or at least on equal footing with him, but, being a prodigy he... Anyways, after my defeat I went back and tried to master the sword and now, some years later...

I grabbed the sword out of the chest and turned back. The day Toshiro defeated me with my own specialty, the gun, I was so embarrassed, this is my chance to get back at him.

I laugh evilly and set my sword aflame. Toshiro gives me a frightened look and that only fuels my deviant intention more. _This isn't just for embarrassing me back then, this is for trying to seduce me my __stripping yourself naked! _I thought to myself.

* * *

_**First Flashback of the book ^.^ Yeah!**_

_**Karin's POV**_

I walked down the corridors of the academy and was immediately attacked by all my peers.

"Kurosaki-senpai! How nice to see you!"

"Kurosaki-san, nice job on the exams this semester!"

I smiled, looking over everyone, "Thank you so much." I my mind, though, I was thinking, _Hell yeah! Beat that, Hitsugaya! I finally got first in the clas-_

"Your quite the hot shot, Ms. Kurosaki," I hear that annoying voice say. And the whole crowd piling around me parted. And just as fast the people adoring me all flocked to him.

"You're my idol, Hitsugaya-senpai!" Someone screamed.

"First in both exams again! Best in magic skill and academic! I hear your even going to skip a grade next year!"

"You're a child prodigy!" Another kid yelled.

He smiled, looking down on all of them and then looking back up at me, "What's up, not going to congratulate me too?"

I grip my fists tight. He beat me again! But I won't let my determination falter!

"You better not get used to that spot as number one! Cause I'm going to take it from you, you just wait!" I said, pointing at him.

He seemed a bit surprised by this and he chuckled a bit, "That's some iron will you have. Even though I beat you on the exams by 200%,"

"You think I care," I say smiling. Everyone kinda clears away by the obvious tension clashing between us.

"Well that's what's so interesting about you," Wait, did he just compliment me? "You're so stupid you don't know when is the time to give up." Nope, I should've let him finish his sentence..

"I'm gonna beat you someday!" I yell.

Toshiro laughs again and walks away for class, even though the bell rings, no one dares to enter while Toshiro is standing in the door way. I can feel his aura leaking out and I let a bit of mine out too, just to give him a taste of my power. His aura sent chills of thin ice along the door way, and mine wavered the atmosphere around from the intense heat.

"I'm sure you'll beat me someday. But for now, you're still number two," He chuckles a bit and walks back into class.

Later, in the magic half of our school day, I challenge Hitsugaya to another duel.

"But we just did one yesterday." He sighed.

"I'm the only one who could possibly give you a work out, so what's the problem? You don't seem to be very busy.." I look around at all the boy who've challenged him. Their mangled, frozen, bodies lying around, twitching. Some of them are even dramatic enough to moan. Pathetic. Boys need to suck it up.

"You're not even supposed to be over here. It's against the rules for a girl to visit the guy's training grounds,"

"Don't you think I know that? But let's face it, there's no one who can compete with us in either of our training grounds."

He sighs, "What's your weapon?"

Finally gave in, huh? "Gun." I say plainly.

"I'll take a sword," He says.

"So you're into the antiques? I don't remember using weapons the last time I dueled you..."

"Great memory, and you're into the modernized weapons?" He asks, pealing his sword back and stretching out his stance.

"Don't blame me if I kill you by accident," I say, loading the gun.

"Don't flatter yourself, you're won't even be able to break me into a sweat." He pours his spirit energy into the sword and everything surrounding his feet within ten feet was frozen over, his sword as well, screamed with the aura of ice.

Not that impressive. If I do the same, my weapon might not glitter with aura, but I can sure as hell beat that!

When I pour my spirit energy into the gun, it pulses with my aura and my feet, also along a 10 foot radius, everything was lit on fire.

He and I locked eyes for a minute, his eyes seemed to have a murderous intent behind him, as if he wasn't being comical anymore, when he fights- he changes.

When he centers the sword in front of him, he slides his stances slightly to the left, and that's when I think he's coming. But even though I was able to prepare for him, I blink and he's gone. No way! He already knows flash step?

"I told you, I won't even break a sweat," He whispers in my ear.

I move away quick, but not quickly enough, he snags my right shoulder. And I can feel it sting a bit, though it isn't very deep and the blood merely drips down my arm. I slid along the ground and held onto my arm tight.

"Geez," I begin, after coming to a halt. "If I didn't dodge that...You don't hold back, do you?"

He took his sword and slashed the blood off the blade, "Wouldn't it be an insult to you if I did?"

He looked at the blade a bit and tilted it in the sunlight, "This blade is dull, otherwise I might have cut through to your bone."

I laugh a bit, "I admit I didn't expect you to know flash step, this puts people with air-type weapons like me at a disadvantage. Looks like I'll have to work a bit harder in order to get to you,"

I gripped on tight to my gun and we both took in one breath. Then in a second we both blinked away. In a moment I could hear the dust rustle behind me and I bit my lip. There's nothing to stop him, I have no shield, so if he catches up to me..

But if I just keep back I should be able to get a shot at him. And then-

"You might be able to flash step, but you're still an amateur, Soooo slow!" He whispered in my ear again.

He got me, but not for long. As I drew my gun up toward him I suddenly felt something. A pair of eyes staring down at me. Almost as though it was a crushing sensation..And although I was not looking at them I could feel them on me saying that any further defiance was an insult. Why, why was his gaze so powerful that I didn't even lift the gun.

Hitsugaya was behind me and he put his sword to my neck, threateningly.

"You wouldn't want a scar here would you?" He asks and I can feel the hint of a smile in his voice. His aptitude was so different when he was fighting. And the blade of his sword drew closer and closer to my neck.

I dropped my gun and stated, "I give."

He laughed and pulled the icy sword away, "Well that was disappointing..No fun at all,"

"Well I bet if I had a sword I could beat you! I was just at a disadvantage this time because guns don't work on people who can flash step!"

"Oh really, you can flash step and I know I can beat you with a gun. So then how about this, we switch weapons. If you can beat me with a sword, you're better than me. But if it's the other way around, well...I'm still awesome," He swings his sword over his shoulder.

"Bring it! I won't lose this time!"

* * *

_**Flashback end**_

_**Karin's POV**_

We were always, or better said, _I_ was always so competitive back then...

"You got any bullets?" Toshiro asked.

"Psh, no way. Those guns don't need bullets."

"Wha~? Then how do I fire it?" He questions.

"That, you'll just have to find out." I smiled and rushed for him with my sword.

"Wait, a minute! I can't do anything with this thing if I don't know how to shoot!"

"Use it to the best of your ability then," I jump up and sent my sword crashing down on him. Instinctively, he used the gun as shield but the element of my aura instantaneously started to heat up the gun.

"Ow!" Toshiro complained as he began to drop the gun. I swung my sword away and ran over to him, grabbing his hand with the gun in it.

"Never. Let go of your weapon." I say.

"But it's so hot!" He says.

"You're the princes of ice, that heat is nothing. On top of that you can regenerate at lightning speed. What exactly are you afraid of?"

"Have you even looked at yourself?" Toshiro began, "There's this red stuff seeping out of your body and your sword is on fire! Not to mention the look in your eyes when you fight is so intimidating!"

I laughed. This is so nostalgic. I was the one who thought that about him, back then..

"This isn't even my full aura, you need to sharpen up! Glares and how scary people look have nothing to do with it," I pointed my sword at him and drew it back slightly, spreading out my stance.

"When you fight, you give it your all. If you're afraid to die, it's reflected in your weapon. If you believe something with your full heart, you can do it. You can defeat me, or you can be defeated. I'm not giving you much time to choose,"

Taking the blade of the sword back a bit, I used the same method again. Run toward him, jump up, and push him back. Each time he used his gun to block the attack. And each time the gin grew more hot. But I knew this was working because by the time I rushed again, his gun was already cooled. His powers were returning.

"let's make a bet then," Toshiro said panting, "If I beat you by the end of today, you tell me what I did that was so horrible. That way, I'll have a bit of motivation."

My eyes widened. I couldn't..No way! What happened was just...It's behind me now...

"Fine then," I said.

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_**Karin's POV**_

I took my sword and swung it down hard, picking it back up and slashing it to the right. I turned around and swung up, proceeding to swing it left.

"This time, I'll definitely beat Hitsugaya!" I yelled.

And then I felt something one my hands, something rough...And then another thing peering behind me. It was cold, not warm, and I'd felt it before.

"You're never going to get close if you keep doing the exercises from the handbook," He whispers.

"You want to swing the sword less aggressively. People with high spirit energy like us can easily over power it and it'll snap in two. So without giving it much movement to focus on, slowly ease your aura into it."

They take my hands clasped around the sword and pull them slowly to the right. Then back to the left, then up, and then down.

"That's it," They said as they let go and watched me repeat the process.

Wait! That was Toshiro's voice!

I spun around, but no one was there..

The next day- our duel.

I walked up to Toshiro and exclaimed, "Why did you help me train?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said with a smile.

"Well I'm calling the duel off because it isn't fair for someone to have taught me how to use a sword," I said, crossing my arms. No matter what I was going to find out why he helped me.

"Fine by me," He says and then I hear the Pow. Something zooms right past my ear and makes my hair fly back.

When I turn back to see what it was, the entire field behind me, back to the trees, was frozen. It was a good thing Toshiro and I where the only ones in this field. But what he just did, such a powerful long range shot. He took his spirit energy bullet and controlled it to where it didn't hit me when it flew by,but seconds after, it retracted and spread out, still flying forward and freezing everything.

Did Toshiro possibly...Help me so that I'd have a better chance?

"I'm going back home," he turned around a walked away.

"Wait!" I followed him.

"Why would you help your rival?" I asked.

"So now you're my rival?" He questions back.

"Ha! So you're not denying that you helped me last night," I exclaimed.

"I helped you?" He asked.

"Ah! You're so aggravating! Just answer the questio-"

"You interest me, that's why,"

"Eh?" I began.

I kinda wouldn't believe what I just heard. But for the first time, when I look up at Toshiro, his eyes seemed so..Lonely...And I suppose I could never figure out why.

* * *

_**Flashback End**_

_**Karin's POV**_

"Hey Toshiro, are you lonely, by and chance?" I asked him as we sat down on a rock, drinking our water.

"Wha? Where did that question come from?" He questioned back.

I laughed, "Just curious..."

"Well I was...I remember something like snap shots when I was young. I'm not sure if they where implanted memories, but what I remember was what seemed liked everyone around me, frowned or laughed at me and alienated me. I have dreams about it all the time..."

"Oh, well thanks for telling me..." Shit, now I feel indebted to him.

I have to tell him, don't I? The only thing he wants to know...

I hide my face in my hair and begin, "You killed her..."

"Huh?" Toshiro began.

"You killed Masaki Kurosaki, my mother."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Once again, no humor, I'm kicking myself for not making it funny like I normally do...**

**Review review review!**

**Reviewers to thank:**

**Turtle-Chan in the Blue**

**PunkRockHolly**

**yellowbutterfly93**

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**Brandi- in response to your review: I'll try, this is my first magical fanfic so... ^.^**

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**Love ya'll,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


	6. Mirrors Tell The Worst Lies

Mirrors Tell The Worst Lies

"In this world, time moves very slowly. Things, animals, the world; we all eventually forgot about one another and with the steady procession of time, we all lost connection. And as things started to unravel, we all separated ourselves from the animals, giving way to The People. Farther and farther we grew apart until we could not even communicate to that of the trees and the earth around us. Until finally, we are here now. People, animals, things, lived their life with no consciousness of the other. And on that day, when our world realized how segregated we had become from our brothers, she wept, for she knew things would never be the same..." This is the story of all creation that was passed down and burned into the brains of every student attending Karakura Academy. But on that day, all the busy animals and things, people and not, they all stopped in the midst of their lives to witness the death of a great mother. The mother of magic herself.

It was so very long ago and it's almost gagging, thinking about what happened. That feeling of what happened that day, what could've been done, mistakes made, and finally; what almost occurred. That nostalgic feeling, but I don't want to go back to those days! No! Because back then..I was conceded enough to actually...To actually fall for him. So in the end, when it boils down, I killed her; yes, I killed her. Because I didn't kill him.

Summer, the 15th anniversary of Karakura's switch from a town to the first whole-city school. It was the single day in the middle of summer break that all students where to gather and celebrate. This was never a inconvenience for most because the celebration was just that. Not dressing up all formally and sitting in a chair watching people talk about the past for an entire day. No, people with magical powers mean to use it. Especially if this was a celebration of the day that created their being able to use it. The anniversary party, like all others before it, was a sort of festival.

The way our academy works is like this; it's basically a giant boarding school. All the schools are connected by grade level. Elementary school, Elementary school elites, Jr. High (or middle school), Jr. High elites, and Finally High school and High school elites. All schools in the town held one of these positions. This means a total of 6 schools where in our area. Elite schools are for those who excel beyond belief, this was the school I attended. I was in Elementary School elites, but this past year was my first year at the Jr. High elites school. So if you can't do the math, I'm in 6th grade.

The houses were just the same, you return to your families everyday and sleep at your house. Only, it's like a hotel because your parents don't have to pay for the house bill anymore. By using our powers, we made free electricity to power or academy and quite easily, hot water. And in time, with all of our abilities, we where able to even have farm and be able to accelerate the plant growth to the point where we can have instant food to feed everyone. We had succeeded in breaking away from society, from the government, for the world. We where sending them a message: these powers are a good thing. And even if you don't see, we're not giving up. We'll support ourselves and offer help to anyone who is willing to harness the future. And that future is in these powers.

High School Elites; the biggest school that held the smartest of us. The most promising future adults. In this massive school there was one thing that stood out that made this the hot spot for every school event; it had a ball room. And not just one of those V-packs for stupid giant rooms in the middle of nowhere. This was one of those 1800's European Aristocrat dance halls. With marble flooring and huge columns, everything tall and bold. Here is where the real heart of the celebration is.

The celebration every year, for the the adults, is just as it is for a winter festival or something of that sort. They put up their temporary sale huts and hang lanterns up along the streets, selling stuff just for the fun of it. They never stay with their children, because this was their night. The night of every year for the children to just be that. Any child that was from 5th grade and higher was allowed to be a guest at this event. Every other that was younger than that helped with their parents in the sale tents. Each year, the streets are lit with a continuous line of shops leading up to the High School Elites building where the seniors of both the elites and the regular schools would contribute to design their own dance for all the students to participate it.

It was always something clever. Like a disco party with your costume for it having to do with the magic you use. But I was quite surprised when I found, in the mail that day, instead of an invitation to the event, I found a box. In it, addressed to me, was a letter, and behind it, a neatly folded up piece of cloth. It was silver. And on top of it was a mask of the same shimmery color. That's weird, we normally get our own costumes...

I open the envelop and read, "You know what this is. So just come." And at the bottom in very small letters was the print, "P.S. Wear only what is in the box or risk certain complications..."

I laughed, this is going to be an interesting party. I grab the cloth and lift it up. It was a dress, fit for someone my age. It was a sleeveless dress with what seemed like silver scales all along it. The fabric was so heavy and it reached just above my knees, making it impossible to carry on my shoulders. It felt like my dress was made of metal. When I slipped on the gloves, they where made of the same material and where just as heavy. Then, lastly, was the mask. When I stuck it on, it was surprisingly light. And though I glittered with silver scales, I felt like an elephant when it's fat(if there's a difference!). I couldn't carry my weight and I quickly stripped off the dress and got back into my regular clothes. Tomorrow night was the celebration. So here goes nothing.

I flop back on my bed and sigh heavily. Before school got out I remember asking Toshiro why he was so busy(he'd been blowing our duels off lately because of something). He plainly admitted that the seniors asked him to help with the dance for tomorrow. I wonder what he was needed for..Hey, why the hell didn't they ask me to help?

I lifted the mask up out of the box and look at it for a bit. So then it's a masked ball...Toshiro will stick out like a sore thumb regardless of what he wears. I feel sorry for him. Girls will be all over him the moment he comes out in his monkey suit. They did the same thing last year. I sighed.

* * *

The day of the celebration. Or more specifically; the night. As I walked down the streets of the path to the school I could see everyone was wearing the same thing! The guys, in a slick silver, heavy tucks, and the girls in a dress the same as mine! We all looked at each other in surprise. I was at least expecting all of our outfits to be unique.

As we filtered into the elite's building, we stopped in amazement by what they'd done with the ball room. Absolutely nothing! We all started mumbling suspiciously when, suddenly we heard a laugh over the speakers as someone began, "Welcome to the 15th anniversary of Karakura Academy's establishment! We 2010 seniors would like to welcome you to our dance! Before we get down to business we want to let you know about those cute little outfits you all are wearing," the man began.

"The ball room today, along with your outfits will change from time to time. And I don't mean in color

or anything like that, that's too plain. I mean, the room will turn into a beach and everyone's outfits will turn into swimsuits. Everyone's outfit is actually going to be different, so don't worry about that. But do remember, while we will have a series of games, do not let your mask come off during this event; if you do, it will increase your chances of becoming the chicken. The chicken is what someone will transform into at any given moment in the party, the person who does will have to run. And run very fast. The first person to catch the chicken gets an official 200 dollar boost to their club's finances and a letter's boost in all grades even though school has ended!" He said.

"Our first song is from way back when, when our sophomores and freshmen where perhaps children. This is an old hit, it's called Hungry Like the Wolf! Boys, you're after the girls. The more you get, the better! Hurry though, after the song is over, no more chances! Girls, better run or get behind someone strong because the guy are not so gentle. Ladies, if you make it to the safe haven at the end of the graveyard you will be safe and the boys can't get you! You have you're goals so let's get started!" The speaker closes out and suddenly there's a poof! Noise. Then there's another, and everyone around me is going up in a puff of smoke. Then it's me. And when the smoke clears, I look down at myself I'm in this stupid looking outfit. A tight, long sleeved shirt with a pink skirt, printed with a black poodle. My hair is flipped up and curled and I think my nails are painted! Wait a minute, my gloves! Is my nail polish the gloves?

I look around and all the girls are in something different, as the speaker said. It was all 80's clothes. But all the boys, they where wolves! And I'm..Yeah, I'm not kidding! All different shades and colors, and they sniffed around, looking up, rather confused. And this is the first time I notice, but everything around me is dark, there is no ceiling. There's only a night sky. And there's dirt at my feet, then when I look across the way, I find where I am. A poorly cared for graveyard.

"Good luck, ladies!" The speaker said.

I was right, this is going to be a crazy party.

The song began, "Dark in the city night is a wire, Steam in the subway earth is afire,"

A wolf rushed at me and for a second I forgot it was a person. So I lifted my leg and kicked it's face, knocking it out instantly. But then, when I remembered these where guys playing a game, I apologized to the boy, bowed to him, and continued to move toward the save haven.

"Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo," I hear in my ear. And then the snarl of some guy drawing nearer. When they arrived, they jumped for my and I ducked down to avoid them, heading again, for the end of the grave yard. Even if I don't make it to the safe haven, If I can just last to the end of the song..

"Woman you want me give me a sign, And catch my breathing even closer behind," I dodge two or three or guys before finally I just decide not to run because there's not point. I've heard this song before and if I'm right; these people are using illusion magic to make the appearance of the ball room change. So no matter how far I run the space is infinite and there is no safe haven to reach.

"Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo," sounds as I stop and look left to right, readying myself for the next person who thinks they can take me down. And then, in front of me, a calm wolf walks up. Not one like the others that look like they were hied up on pot or something. This wolf was was beautiful. It had a slick white coat with icy blue eyes. Around which blue tick marks where hashed into his bright blue mask.

This looks just like..Toshiro. But they didn't say the outfits where based off of looks, so, this can't possibly be him.. Then suddenly the wolf was gone and then I knew it. It was him. A flash step. I back up just in time to see the wolf slam his claws into the ground and shred through the dirt just inches away from my body. I flip and jump back into a comfortable stance. You little bastard. You're not going to catch me. I won't let you beat me at even this!

And as I thought to myself how slow Toshiro had gotten because I could actually dodge his moves I saw a glimmer of something and turned to see Toshiro perched on a tomb stone, waiting for me to come out of my trance. His, mask reflecting the moonlight. And when I turn to face him, he's gone again and before I know it something is pushing me back. And then the dog is on top of me.

"That's not fair!" I bark.

His paw taps my chest lightly as I see a hash mark in his mask start to form. I see! The more girls he's caught, the more tick marks he gets! There must be 60 or 70 along that mask! I looked into the wolf's eyes for a second, they seemed to almost laugh at me. Then the wolf jumped off of me and ran off toward the direction I was running.

And before I realized it, the song was already almost over.

"Strut on a line it's discord and rhyme, I'm on the hunt I'm after you," I hear as I stand watching the white wolf pounce on girls effortlessly and kick them over like paper. I can't believe I just called him beautiful. Though it was true, the wolf shimmered in the light of the moon. And his eyes glittered even more.

I could hear another wolf coming up from behind me and I smacked it's face without even looking back. I didn't feel like playing around anymore. Damn it! Toshiro can even beat me at a game like this? Ah!

"Mouth is alive with juices like wine, And I'm hungry like the wolf," And that was it. The song was up.

"Times up folks! Time to announce our brave ladies that survived the attack of the wolves without a single mark by a wolf," I'm not on this list, damn you, Toshiro! "What's this? The only girls that survived where sophomores? Hotaru Tsubasa, Sakura Hinamori, and Haru Yachika. Give them a round!" And everyone clapped.

"Now then, for our top three wolves with the most women claimed. Give it up for, in third place with 35 girls, Kaede Amaya." Everyone clapped again and I could hear some guys giving whistles and whooping for him. But I knew, what I saw on Toshiro's mask, he was no where near close to what Toshiro had. It really wasn't fair because Toshiro was flash stepping anywhere, he could get twice the girls in half the time with his speed!

"And in second place with 42 girls, Kin Kisho!" The yells this time where even louder.

"Finally, number one, our play boy with 97 girls, our...No, way! Give it up for our very own chibi, first year in Jr. High Elite, Toshiro Hitsugaya!" Everyone gasped and girls squealed and as people started to yell with words of congratulations, they all where quite astonished that it was a middle school student who achieved the highest spot. Well if they knew Toshiro like I did, it'd be no surprise!

"Alright, thanks to all who participated and now we move into a relaxing song! Since this is a dance, we will have a period between each game where we slow down and have a nice dance before we crank it up again! This time, we're going to the seaside. And much fitting for the part, we are listening to, Seaside. A rather modern and slow song. So get some punch, settle on the beach, or grab a partner and dance around. Just relax and unwind. But remember what happens when the song ends.." The speaker shuts off again and then there's that same Poof!

Now I'm in a stupid Swimsuit! It's a blue one piece with orange and lime green, red and pink splotches of color all over it as if someone splattered it with a paint brush. All the people my age where wearing one pieces, but it seemed like the ages over 8th grade all have bikinis and tankinis on. My hair was up in a pony tail and I had a white visor on over it. My gloves where now, somehow, around my waist and they formed a thin, short, skirt. My mask felt like it was made of rubber now. And as I gazed around, everyone seemed to be winding down, and so did I.

This beach scene was very relaxing. There was a small bar, looking place(that only served punch) and near it, a bamboo dance floor where couples where doing just that. And along the beach, people where laying out in the sun and splashing each other with water. The song began slowly, "Do you want to go to the Seaside', I'm not trying to say that everybody wants to go,"

I look around and some unlucky fellows got speedos as their swim suits, poor dudes. Then some girls got super exposing bikinis, I feel sorry for them too. But then, as I look around in the bar, and on the dance floor, and along the beach. I don't see Toshiro anywhere. Dang it! I was hoping he got a speedo! I would so take a picture of that and post it on facebook and youtude!

Oh well...I sit down on the sand and run my fingers through the funny feeling stuff.

"I fell in love at the seaside, I handled my charm with time and slight of hand," I hear. I've never heard this song before. But it sounds really slow and boring. Or maybe it's just because it's relaxing..Who knows...

"Hey, is that Kurosaki-senpai?" I hear. And all of a sudden this girl is swamping me.

"I knew that was you, senpai! Do you remember me? I'm one grade below you and this is my first time at an anniversary dance. My name is Akako Etsu!"

I looked at her for a bit, processing everything, and then I replied, "Umm..Hi Akako," And then I thought about it. Akako means red and her last name is Etsu which is Red Delight, "What a cute name.." I mumbled.

"Oh thank you!" She burst out. I winced out how loud she was. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm just really excited because," She lowed her voice and whispered to me, "I hear there's going to be a couple challenge next. And during that time we get to see the birth mother!"

My eyes widened, What? Mom is...

The Birth Mother is the person who began the academy of Karakura. That woman was the birth of all the magic in this city. That woman is also the mother of children. Three, actually. A boy, and two twin girls. One of them, me. I don't see mother much anymore. And it's a thrill to hear she's doing alright. She's always so busy, what with trying to push the government off our backs and all, but she managed to come, so I'm glad and I can't wait to see her.

"Is that so!" I say, delighted.

"But I fell in love on the seaside , On the seaside, In the seaside," I could finally hear the music again. And it was fading out. Dang it! My break has already passed by!

"Had a nice break? We hope you did because the next event is going to take your breath away. Now instead of giving everything away like last time, let's see if you all can figure out what to do. Make sure to keep warm!" The speaker shuts off yet again. And then Poof! I'm ice skates and tights with a short, wool skirt, a blue sweater, and a little snow cap over my head. My shoes have little bunnies on the heels and my hair is in pigtails. Why is it none of my outfits so far have shorts in them? And is the outfit randomized because this really does not fit my style.

I look around me and there it is. The reason, I knew it. What Toshiro was preparing, This is no illusion because you can see the outline of the ball room beneath everything. The whole ball room, in-cased in ice. Someone had done some handy work and made two swans at the entrance to something, was it a maze?

"I can't wait!" Akako says skating up to me, "I just can't wait to see the birth mother. And I love skating!"

Wait? "Did you just say skates?" I asked her. And my feet and suddenly wobbly and I fall on my butt. I look at my feet which are equipped with blades for shredding through the ice. But I don't know how to fucking ice skate. Poof! I change into something again. But wait? The song hasn't even ended. Hell, it hasn't started! Why am I changing now- But then, when I look down at my hands, they're full of feathers and my legs are a chicken's with ice skates strapped to them. I'm in a chicken suit which means...I look up and suddenly everyone has their eyes on me in my bright orange plumage. I'm the chicken!

"Ladies in gentlemen, that chicken has appeared! Now before you run after her, she gets a 30 second head start. You all know you're prize, but Missy here needs to know her drive! This is what you are trying to reach, miss chicken. When you reach the roof of this ice covered palace, you will look beneath the ice for a message. It will tell you something very important about our next event! Ready!"

"Wait! This isn't fucking fair! Why don't I have a choice! I can't even skate! And my mask never fell off!" I yell. And then the song starts and everyone darts toward me.

I flash step away, quickly, sighing heavily as I flash up the stairs. Does this message, perhaps, have something to do with mom? If it does and they planned this just to tell me that my mother is here, it's too later because I already know. As I see the sophomores catch up with their flash steps behind me, I frantically keep it up, trying not to touch the ground, if I do I'll have to skate, and I don't have a fuck on how to do that.

When I make it to the second floor, it's just a one way hall, so if anyone passes me up, I'm done for, so I have to stay in front. Then suddenly, I loose my footing and I slide along the ground. When I look back, the sophomores are approaching fast, so I pick up my stupid feet, with the skates and balance, picking up one foot after the other. Then I slam open the door to a class room and grab a chair. I talk it and hold on the edges I lean over it and use it as balance. Then I fire up my heels with spirit energy.

"Ho!" I yell as I slide the chair along the ground with me running behind it, fire blazing from my feet.

The chair, was my balance. And as I was so far ahead of everyone else, I could kind of hear the song.

"Farewell powdery paradise, we'd rather skate on the thinnest ice," The fuck was this song? It sounded gay.

"I'll make it to the top!" I say, flash stepping up the stair, still holding the chair.

And when I reach the top I gaze over everything, he said something about, beneath the ice. I looked down at my feet. Then in the ice's reflection, I see someone behind me. How did they get here so fast.

I turn around quickly and when I see their white hair, I know. What is he doing here? I back up all the way to the railing and look back nervously. What is he doing here? I can't let him get me again, though!

"I don't know who you are, but you should know that they tricked you."

My eyes widened, what? He crossed his arms and looked away. "I was asked to help make this event and I know what they're planning to do. They think it's funny. There is no message and you're just being corner, after you get mauled by the people, you will be taken back to be the senior boys 'entertainment' as they say," He turns around and snaps his fingers, in the ground a hole in the roof forms and through it is a small room, "You'll wait here and I'll call you when everyone's gone.

I look back up at him. I suppose he does have his nice moments. "Why're you doing this for a total stranger," he doesn't know who the chicken is anyways.

"Because I don't believe that what would happen to you if they found you is 'funny', now go." he says says.

I laugh, "It doesn't matter if I run, the costume won't go back to normal so-"

"It will, I fooled with yours because I knew it was the one with the chicken defect. The where planning to mail it to a girl on the list, so I took it before they mailed it. It should transform you back into the winter outfit just before the song ends. Now go!" He grabs me and shoves me down the hole. Immediately after that it seals shut.

As I wait quietly beneath the ice I hear the song, "so we snuggle close in the darkness, and keep each other so," Poof I turn back, "Warm.." And the song ends.

Then over the speakers it sounds, "The quest for the chicken will continue but for now, we will put into motion our final act of the night! This is a cool down from the activity. It is a dance party in the theme of our original idea! A masked ball! So kick back and relax for the rest of the night. We will have guest star arriving shortly so have a great time and keep looking for that chicken!" The speaker says. The guest star is the birth mother. Yep, mom.

Poof! I look down at myself and my hands are cloaked in white silk gloves that reach up to my elbows. I look down and my dress is so long I can't see my feet, Then When I look at my surroundings I see it. Everything is made of mirrors!

"You asked for it,you paid for it," I hear the song start. And when I turn to look at myself I can't believe my eyes. My mask is a dark blue and so is my dress. My dress looks like a dark blue wedding dress! It's made of silk and stretches to the floor. Along the back of the dress, two parallel strips of silver run down to the end of the fabric. It's topless and my hair is done up and pinned everywhere to where I have two huge curls falling down from either side of my face and the top of my head is covered in small little ringlets.

"Get what you deserve, You wanted it, the benefit, How does it feel worse?" The song continues.

Toshiro lifts up the ice again and helps me up out of the hole. It's weird that the roof didn't change to fit the theme. Toshiro probably fooled with their magic connection to this place and made it so that it would stay made of ice.

For a minute, we stared at each other. He was in a white suit with a blue rose hanging out of the coat pocket. And his hair was combed back into a European style. Then when he let go of my hands he looked over me, wide eyed. Through his ice blue mask I can see that he's looking at me intently.

"So then, why did you save me?" I ask.

"Nothing personal," he begins, "Like I said, I just don't like the way the seniors tick."

"You're stupid then." I say.

He is suddenly out of his staring trance and he snaps, "What?"

"Well now that you know who I am, I could've handled myself regardless of if you helped or not." I boast.

He laughed, "I'm sure you're some amazing prodigy in high school elites, but I'll let you know this. I don't care who you are and even if you could defend yourself, I helped you. So just be happy about that, ok?"

He serious doesn't know who I am? I think he took what I said the wrong way. But Yeah, I actually think this is happening. Toshiro doesn't know that I'm his rival.

I laugh. That's so cute.

"What?" he asks.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking that you remind me of someone." I say.

I can hear the muffled noises of the chorus to the song, "hide in your eyes, dancing in the bright light.."

"You look rather cleaned up tonight. I'd imagine your a total filthy bastard when you're not at parties." I say, leaning over the railing.

"Good assumption, but I'm not your normal guy," He began laughing, "I clean up just as well as you do. Or at least as well as your pampered Pomeranian at home."

"So now I'm a prissy girl with a poodle." I laugh.

"I'm just giving it my best guess. I don't know who you are anyways," He laughs again.

I give him a friendly tap on the shoulder, "And you're some type of playboy, maybe even the one who won the wolf game earlier," Well I know I guessed right on that. He's gonna act so surprised, but everyone knows him since he's so talented. He really shouldn't be surprised.

"Right on the money," He says. Then he turns to me and you won't believe what happens next. He takes his hand and puts it on the back of my head, drawing me in close to him. And I'm pulled up into him. He just..He is, going to kiss me! My eyes widened as I try to pull away. What the hell? He doesn't even know who I am. The fuck is he doing?

As he draws closer I start to blush and I can feel something coming over me, making me weaker. So weak that I..Can't move. Then I..Why am I? Moving to meet his lips? Why, do I feel like...

He chuckles a bit, just before he meets my lips and he looks back at me, "Sorry miss, I'm just a bit messed up right now. I have a job to do, and it's not pretty."

I back up after he lets me go and I sprint for the hall. What the heck was that? What did he- What did he almost do...? What did I almost do?

As I make my way down stairs I have to pick up my dress to get there. But when I get to the ball room, all eyes are on me. I'm the only one in a dress like this. I mean, mine looks like it's 8,000 dollars, everyone else's just looks like a prom dress or a monkey suit. I laughed, because some people I knew where freaking out even more because they saw me in a dress.

"Hide in your eyes, Dancing in the bright lights,Take out the knife, Oh this brush just doesn't feel right," I hear as I make my way through the crowd and glance around while everyone starts back up dancing. The floor now, is painted with the colored lights from the ceiling and the booming music. I make my way over to the hall on the other side of the ball room and are just in time to see Toshiro walking into the hall way. Wasn't he just on the roof.

"Hitsugaya!" I called out, but of course he couldn't hear me over the music.

"Hide in your eye," I hear as I walk into the hall way covered with mirrors. And I can see Toshiro's reflection of the several mirrors. But when I see that brown hair and that long, noble kimono, and that smile. I nearly fall dead, Mom! And then I hear a scream, who was that? Someone else, no, everyone is looking at me. It's me! I watched as Toshiro took a dagger out of his pocket and jabbed my mother with it.

The last thing I remember was the speakers sounding, "Mirrors tell the worst lies,"

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Like it? Hate it? Review plz.**

**Reviewers to thank:**

**shinku no tamashi**

**Turtle-chan in Blue**

**KKH913- hey do you have an account? I wanna reply to your reviews.**

**Animerocks30**

**yellowbutterfly93**

**meggie-moo s**

**PunkRockHolly**

**T.h.E.s.R.**

**Blueberry Absinth**

**XxCapturetheLightXx**

**love ya'll,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


	7. Draining

Draining

"So then, that's great," He began, "Now I know I was a horrible person. But I already knew that! Why did I kill her?" He asked.

"How should I know? I'm not you!" I argue.

"Half your story didn't even have anything to do with what I did!" He replied.

"I just told you the whole story!" I retorted.

"Well great, now I just wanna blow myself up. That's fantastically wonderful! Ah! Why the hell did you tell me that anyway?" He began, frustrated.

"Because you wanted me to!" I said, "It's not like I wanted to relive my mom's death you know.."

He didn't reply to this and then I wished I hadn't said that. Now we just, didn't talk..And I started to feel the faint fatigue on my body. And in a flash it all pinged on my at once. A sharp, intense throb to my head, as if a high pitched note of an instrument, wailing and off key, was ringing in your ear. I covered my ears automatically, even though it wasn't a sound that was causing this. Immediately, I dropped to the ground and Toshiro rushed over.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" He ask.

"Obviously not you block head," I muttered, "It just seems as though my time ran out..I was hoping to get some training in but.."

I held on to my stomach hard as the slit was, yet again, carved ever so slowly and tortuously through me. The blood because to spread out along the ground as I winced, the slashes still continuing. Until finally, everything had returned. Ever bruise, scratch, wound. This was not too good. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Because now I can't get treatment.

"Those wounds..There in the same places as...Could it be that...That magically looking thing you did back in the forest...It's only temporary?" He asked.

I manage to muster a nod before crying out as the cut reached through to my organs.

Ichi-nii is skilled in everything. Especially long-distance magic and communication. He can transport certain things to people, and in a drastic situation such as mine, he was able to channel a water mage's power through him to me and make the lake I was standing in become healing water. This though, would not last long because the healing was fake and took place without the healer actually being there. And since I forgot about the wound, what with everything else going on, this just happened to come along right when I'm not near any medical care. Shit! I'm in real trouble.

"I...Ah...Crap, what should I do?" He begins, "She's going to die again!"

"..Shut up you ass.." I burst out between pants, I'm finding it harder to grasp air..

"I can.." I took a deep breath, "Still rejuvenate..." I managed to try and give him a reassuring smile but all it does is worry him more. Funny though, I don't think I've ever seen those teal eyes worried about anything. And just as they are intimidating in battle, they are commanding when in need. He needs something from me by that look. But it's more like a plead. And of course I didn't know what. I mean, to him, he just met me..What does he want me to do? Live? Why the hell does he even care what happens to me..He doesn't "know" me anymore...

As the blood spread to where he was sitting he began in a low voice, somewhat broken, "How can I...How can I be so hopeless. I can't just watch you die..I won't let anyone die..I'm not...I can't!" He said.

My eyes widened. At first, I though, what the hell is he talking about..But then I realized it. Subconscious desires. No, get your perverted mind away from the other desires, I mean this; no one wants to see another die and know they can do nothing to stop it. That feeling of hopelessness, I've felt it and seen it in the eyes of too many. But Toshiro, never. Because he always had the power to take lives, and he was never in the position where he couldn't stop one from being taken. And now, his eyes are just so...Unbearably...Their searching, for some way, begging for something-some power-that can help me.

I grit my teeth and lift myself up slowly, one hand on the ground, another gripping my stomach with despite so, is flooding the ground with blood. I don't have enough spirit energy to stop it..So if I don't do something I will die..And this boy..I can't call him Toshiro anymore. Because he's not the same person. Hell, he want to _help_ me. That in itself would've been impossible to the other Toshiro. And if he wants to help..

"I'm not going to die you retard," I muttered. "If you want to help..Just.." I gasped for breath. And instead of finishing the sentence, I bring my hand in in order to signal he need to approach me.

What am I doing? I can't do this..Not to someone as clueless as he is..If I do, he...But I am! And before I can stop myself...I'm doing what I'm not supposed to do, what no one's supposed to do, especially not with permission. I desperately needed to be healed and..He has not use for his spirit energy..And I know he has a lot..He could live if I take some, right? No, I shouldn't be doing this..I..I'm committing the unspoken forbidden act..I'm going to drain him...Going to take it..

"This is.." I take a deep breath, looking down. Taking my hands, I places the both on his shoulders ad he looks at the blood on either hand. "..Going to hurt.."

His eyes widened and I could see he looked for a second, like he was ready to chicken out. But then he just..Went back to normal and nodded his head.

I'm going to take it..I need to take it..

His life's energy.

I grab on tight to his shirt and pull him in, pressing his lips against mine.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Short, I know, but it's because if I added everything else it would be a huge freaking chappy, so I'm making this one short, the next one regular, and the last on the same. Review plz!**

**Reviewers to thank:**

**Shinku no tamashi**

**Moon of Jupiter**

**T.h.E.s.R**

**Turtle-chan in Blue**

**yellowbutterfly93**

**once again, am I doing something wrong? All my stories seem to be getting less and less reviews..Please let me know..**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


	8. Memories

Memories

This is..Creepy. Have you ever really felt it? Something shiver down your spin. Something..Weakening you? Something almost..scaring you? And you want it to stop because, well of course it feels wrong, but...Another part of you just...Wants it that much more.

So of course I'm thinking then..Holy crap, the fuck is this girl doing? I just met her and- But then I felt it. Like a presence of being drawn out out me. It was..Something didn't want..But then, I couldn't just push her away because I offered to help. Her hands tighten and loosen their grip on my shirt. And occasionally the lightly pulls away and pants a bit before grabbing me again and sucking me into whatever sort of life draining junk she was doing.

But mostly the reason I didn't pull away was because I sort of "wanted it". Something inside me said "finally" as if I was waiting for her. To what.. Do this? Kiss me? Ah shit, did I like her? No, she said I wasn't in any sort of relationship with her..But then..Didn't I only assume that because she said she'd given her heart to me? What the hell did that mean? What-

I could feel something she was taking away from me start to fade. And then I knew that she was taking too much..To much of whatever was leaving me. Because I started to knock out..Both from the intensity and from a migraine. Was that normal? Was I getting a migraine because I was being drained, or because it was like in the movies and this was trigger event. You know, something that's happened before or was significant in a way that it makes their memories return. But I had a friend who's grandma's memories returned. It really wasn't like that. Events that where significant to you normally didn't come for a long while. It starts with; small things. So then I'm expecting, if this is not a side affect of Karin's method of healing herself, to get a small memory.

Karin let her lip lighten up their pressure a bit as she panted rather uneasily. She let all the weight of her body fall on me as I saw then, the huge gash in her stomach steadily stop bleeding. She put her head on my shoulder and breathed ever harder.

"I'm..I'm sorry." She began, "I...Took way too much I..."

She took a deep breath and began with an uneasy tone, "You're going to...Black out soon,"

She continued to pant more and more until she finally spoke again, "I'm so sorry.."

She stopped breathing hard. What...What happened? Didn't I save her? Wasn't it enough?

But then I started to feel it. Vision blurring...Feeling ever so sleepy. Nothing now left to focus on but that head ache growing to be more and more painful. I could feel my hands start to get numb and fall at my sides. And I could feel myself sliding to the left. And all of a sudden, I'm lying on the ground. And the last thing I can see is that black hair draped over her face. Eyes closed, mouth slightly open, looking stunningly...Innocent and..Pretty. _I think I wondered faintly, is she still breathing? Is she still alive? _But I really couldn't tell because right about now, all I can see is black.

* * *

_...Somewhere...Sometime_

_Toshiro's POV_

It was hard to wrap my brain around but..Since I appear so small and Karin is..Still here that means this is..Before the celebration and probably..Before my 6th grade year..

I was..What could be only described as an audience member. I was..Not in my body as I expected to be. But watching the scene play out from bellow.

I was a scrawny little thing. My blue eyes where huge and my hair was a lot flatter than before. I looked almost innocent...So small. How old was I? 5? 6?

Empty..That's all I saw in my younger self's eyes.. They where..What you could call..un-entertained. How I know this, it just doesn't seem to phase me. This all seems so familiar to me. Even though I'm not the one holding the red rubber ball in his hands and I'm not the one planting my saddles on the wooden deck, I could feel it. A connection. As if this place was so very...Nostalgic. It was then that I knew the movies weren't lying. An event can trigger memories of one who lost them. Because I was experiencing one right now.

I gripped the red ball tight in my hands and bounced it. Once. Twice. Now the third time. It landed again in my hands and I stared at it for a very long while. Then my fingers scratched at the rubber as my very bored eyes widened for a bit. I could swear they changed colors slightly. Almost to a pure sky blue. Then the ball..The ball froze over with a thin layer of frost the soon turned into ice. Immediately after, it shattered into small flakes of pink ice.

"This is...Boring.." I say plainly.

I'm standing in a courtyard. Near that is a small pond with a low-to-ground bridge across it to a rocky garden with a huger cherry blossom tree looming over the whole scene. This was..My home. Our family was not your modern small little bunch. We were centered on tradition. In fact the estate we lived in had been there for a long while. Our family and our kin before us worked to keep this place alive. Our tradition was actually dancing. That is how we made a living in the world..That is, until we and everyone else found about about spirit energy. From there our town became a training ground and with time we realized that the Hitsugaya family was very talented in this new power.

But never geniuses..That is, until me.

How in the world..Did I know all this..It's like I know everything on a person I don't even...Know..

"Toshiro," I heard a voice call. It was sweet and gentle. Reminding me of the wind. A warm wind. What was this voice..It was so oddly familiar...

When I turn it's strange because..I can't see any of her facial features. Almost as if her face was covered by a black veil, the only visible feature that stood out to me was her white hair; the same as mine. What, does it run it the family?

"You're father had come with a visitor," She began.

I suddenly jumped back, "Father's here? Where?" I acted skittish and looked around nervously.

"Don't be so afraid, we have a guest so he's not going to act his usually self," She laughs, roughing up my hair.

I slap her hand away and mumble, "I hope you're right."

And just a few seconds later I hear something. Something that sends chills down my younger self's back.

"TOOOOOOSHIRO!" A loud voice cries. It almost annoys me how it sounds to vibrant and full of life.

I close up like a rolly-polly my defense system, kicking in. I instinctively jump back as he comes flying out from behind the estate.

He looks up from where he landed and grins by where I am. Untouched, unharmed by his massive belly flop. I think I could've died if he landed on me.

"Nice reflexes," He said, coming for me. And in my current state, I didn't see it coming. But the younger me I was watching jumped over his huge body leaning over to grab him. He turns around quickly and snags my scrawny leg. I glance back in horror as I quickly take my other leg and plant it in his face. He lets go of my leg and braces his face in pain. But then, as I turn to run off, he grabs me while my back is turned and pins me to the ground. He places with my hair and roughs me up as I slide along the ground, trying to get away.

"Come on, son, you're really that weak?" He chuckles.

"Let me go, damn it!" I say, gripping at the dirt.

"Hey'w watch youwr languwage," I hear. And that voice, although kitty and young, was still very recognizable.

"Karin, I told you to wait in the car," My dad says as he gets up off me and kicks me over again as he gets up. Funny thing is..I can't see any part of my dad's face..Nothing at..all

"It's toow howt in therwe!" She said. She quite the childish lisp. Everything had a 'W' in it..I was waiting for her to make and appearance out from the side of the estate as well. And very slowly, she walked out into the light.

She had her same black hair but it was short and stuck in two pig tails. Her cheeks where puffy with baby fat. Her eyes where gigantic and they immediately set on the younger me.

"Youw have Mr. Hitswugawa's hair-" But then she looked at everyone, including the girl beside me with white hair, "Awe! You awl have snowey hair!" She laughed and smiled, "You awl are Shiwo-tan!"

My dad laughed at her and walked over, placing his hands on her shoulders. He said to my clearly, "Karin-chan will be visiting for a few ours. Her father is a friend of mine and he has some work to get done...Karin's sister is normally with her but at this time, her sister is at dance class. Be sure to fill in any lonely feelings Karin-Chan may be having because of her sister's absence today."

And even I knew what that meant. I was supposed to baby sit her. That was...Pleasant.

* * *

"Hiwe there! Wanna pway a game?" Karin offered.

"Leave me be, pest." I say.

"Heyw, I'm just trwying to be fwiendly," She looked away. This Karin was, different. More excited and curious, more friendly.

"Well stop trying to be." I reply.

She puts her hands on her hips and puffs out her lip. "Youw're mean!"

"You're annoying," I retort.

I walked off, towards the cherry blossom tree, and she follows. I stop and she runs into me by accident, she jumps back and continues to follow. Until finally, I turn around and snap, "Quit following me."

She sneers back, "I'm nowt hurting yowu am I?"

"You're annoying me."

"Yowu look just as bowred to death as I am, why won't you pway with me?" She asks, ignoring what I last said.

"Because I don't want to, does that bother you?" I ask.

* * *

And just like that..That's all I can get. I'm being shaken...Shaken very hard. And someone is...cursing me out.

"You fucking, stupid, asshole, idiotic...Ah! Toshiro wake up!"

My eyes snap open and then suddenly I'm in a place I..Don't know of... And this girl is peering over me.

"Honestly, falling asleep in a place like that, and leaving your damsel in destress alone, what kina hero is he?" I hear another voice say past the girl.

The girl has...Black raven hair..A lock of it fell lazily between her eyes. And she had violet eyes that stared at me intently. I faintly remember her from somewhere. I think she was in a different squad than I was..Then wait..She's!

My eyes widened as I connected all the dots. If she was someone I know from the districts then...I've been taken back to the districts and...

They left her for dead and took me instead...

I shot up and looked around..I was in the 4th squad barracks. But the room was cleared. And as I looked around quickly I saw then, the voice from before belonged to..No it couldn't be?

There, wrapped in a blanket, she sat. With the girl face away from her, she put her finger to her lips and shushed me.

Karin had done it somehow. While was asleep..Brought us both here to the districts...Here I guess is where we begin..

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Nothin' really to say... Short again, but it's because I have to play violin now..Longer next week! Review review review!**

**Reviewers to thank:**

**meggie-moo s**

**Turtle-chan in Blue**

**GamerNeko- yeah! New reviewer! I love you!**

**PunkRockHolly**

**T.h.E.s.R**

**yellowbutterfly93**

**Blueberry Absinth**

**But of course, I love you all! Yay! meggie-moo s gave me a shout out in her story, so I'll give her one! Everyone read JACKEDUP FAIRYTALE! **

**Love ya,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~ **


	9. Promise

Promise

I can't fathom why. But I started to dream of things in the past. And that rarely ever happens to me..In fact I almost never dream in the first place. This memory too, was of Toshiro and I, once again. And just exactly how we came to meet. And then also, what followed shortly after.

* * *

_Flashback_

Because I was, well, a kid, I often wore my short hair in pig tails. No, I didn't enjoy it, but at that point it was just something that was done to me everyday, what's the point in trying to fight for such a meaningless thing? I suppose if I wanted to I could have taken my hair down, but that wouldn't have made my mom very happy, and back then, it was all about making her smile.

My father had business to attend to with my mother, they where trying to fight off the Japanese government from destroying out school. And since Yuzu was at dance at the time, I was alone. So goat face turned me over to his good friend. Which actually seemed to be a bit like him. Though he was..I suppose you could say..A lot more human looking. And I don't mean to insult myself but..My dad was butt ugly. Ok, so cut me a break, I was a kid. And yeah, I did looked some what...quaint..As some might say. What with my eyes being huge and my lisp still being present..And my chubby cheeks, tiny hands, and curious aptitude. But I better warn you now; you laugh at me, or think any less of me, and I'll never tell this story again..Ok, that was a bad threat...Um..I'll gouge your eyes out if you laugh!

Ok so here goes the dream!

As young as I was I remember clearly. My dad stooping down and telling me I had to go with this other old guy..But as I rode in the car, it didn't phase me I was leaving my family until I could actually no longer see my father as we curved down the rode. And..At that time, when my personality was still fluffy and cry-baby-like.. I burst out..Well, you know, crying.

"Karin-chan, what's wrong?" The old guy asks, tilting his mirror so that the reflection of his eyes caught my gaze.

"I...I wanna go home!" I sob. "Mommy!"

"What in the..You're already homesick?" He asked.

I took two deep breaths and sniffled a bit.

"Tell you what, Why don't we go get some ice cream?" He suggests.

And it's sad to say, but I instantly forgot about my parents and sister at the mention of that word. Ice cream...

My mouth watered as I bounced up and down in the seat, "Ice cweam! Ice Cweam!" I shouted.

"Alright, alright," He laughs.

And that was actually..My first meeting with Hitsugaya's father. And after the ice cream, I'd soon meet Hitsugaya. Though it was a meeting..I wish would have never occurred. Because even on that day, I could've killed him. But I didn't, I let him live. Which ultimately led to my mother's murder.

He told me to wait in the car. So I did for a bit. I dragged my fingernails along the leather of the seats and tapped impatiently on the door handle. And you know how slow time seems to pass for young energetic kids like me. So I don't think I was in the car for 1 minuted before it seemed like and hour. I tugged on the silver door handle and unbuckled myself, ungracefully sliding onto the ground. The back on my dress flipped up and clenched to the seats as my feet touched the surface. I snagged my dress away and push the door shut.

When I turned around, I couldn't believe my eyes. A house that literally towered over me. Back then a house was all I could call it, but it actually appeared to be a manor! Traditionally based off of the edo period. It was surrounded by a wooden deck all the way around the house and rice paper sliding doors. That was..About as old as a house could get. I remember wondering how the tiles of the roof spiked up like that at the ends. But of course now I know, that was a stupid question.

I first started, by looking for a door to knock on. But of course I couldn't find one. So when I inched closer to the right, I could hear voices. One of which, was the old guy's. Or as I called him, Shiro-tan. Because of his apparently natural white hair.

But as I stepped round the corner of the house. There was a sight that almost looked as if it came from a children's book.

The ground was covered in a wooden deck. It cut off 8 feet from what looked like a medium sized pond. Where it stopped, granite rocks began and covered to entire space around the pond. There was a bridge across it which led to a little garden with a bench cradled by a large cherry blossom tree. And in this courtyard, 3 people where present(not including me). I woman with white hair that reached just bellow her elbows was one of them. She stared down at the other two on the ground, shaking her head in amusement. And there on the ground, was the old man. And a boy with white hair as well, being squashed by him. It was a world of Shiro-tans!

The boy's hair was..somewhat spiky, and as he appeared near my age, I was instantly curious as to who he was. A new play mate? I was already stunned by his appearance...Those large teal eyes that growled at his father. That look of boredom in them though, was still visible through his desperate attempts to get away from his father. And I knew that look very well.

So as it ended up being, Toshiro was supposed to baby sit me. Or keep me company, as his father said, in the place of Yuzu. Though he didn't do a good job of that..

I hopped around with a red ball in my hands.

"Hiwe there! Wanna Pway a game?" I asked curiously.

"Leave me be, pest," He said coldly.

"Heyw, I'm just trwying to be fwiendly," I puff out my lip and look on.

"Well stop trying to be." He replied.

I shrivel up my nose and put my hands on my hips. I begin,"Youw're mean!"

"You're annoying," He retorts, turning away and heading for the tree.

I saunter after him and he stops at the bridge. More interested with skipping on the wooden planks, I don't notice he stopped and I slam into him.

"Quit following me!" He says after awhile.

"I'm nowt hurting yowu am I?" I say sarcastically.

"You're annoying me."

"Yowu look just as bowred to death as I am, why won't you pway with me?" I ask, ignoring his last comment,

"Because I don't want to, does that bother you?" He questions.

"What twype a' question is that?" I say, following after him as he sits down on the bench.

I stand in front of him and begin curiously, "Hey! How Owld are yowu?" I asked.

"6." He says.

"Wow..Yowu don't souwnd it!..What's yowur magwic speck-alty?" I question.

"What is this, 20 questions?" He asks.

"Fiwne then, yowu don't have to answer!" I frown and turn away.

"Ice." He says.

"Wha?" I turn back around.

"Ice is my element. Swords are my specialty, not speckalty," He corrects.

"Wow! That's fuwny! I'm the exawct opposite!" I say, flapping my arms out excitedly like a penguin.

"Fiwre is my elemwent and guwns are my speck- spec-i-aly!" I smiled in triumph. I said specialty right!

The guy seems to be rather creeped out by my smiles because he looks away rather timidly.

And all of a sudden I hear something strange. And Toshiro starts to keel over making a weird gasping sound.

I don't know what to do so I watch for a second or two. He grabs onto the fabric of his shirt tight and takes in quick breaths. He drops down to his knees and grabs my shoulder. He gives me a long, hard stare. And in the instant, his eyes seem to beg for something. No more specifically, for me to do something.

So I call out quickly, "HEWLP! SOMEWONE!" I cry.

And before I know it, everything's like the sad part in a movie. Slow motion almost, but I can't recall what anyone is saying. Because the only thing I can remember, is the woman from before rushing up to Toshiro and shaking him violently.

Toshiro's dad two, is hovering over him. The woman now is crying, and the man is running his fingers through his hair. And at the time, I don't know what's going on. Parents could fix everything..So why is it the boy wasn't getting better? Didn't stop panting, didn't stop looking at me. I think he was sorry now..For what? For letting me see this?

Maybe because I was crying..Maybe he was telling me now to..

In any case, what really happened was explained to me over and over. And even though I didn't really get the situation at the time, I'll go ahead and tell you what happened.

Toshiro had..Heart problems. Very bad heart problems. Only they where not your regular natural heart defects. Because he was so extraordinarily good at using spirit energy, the level in which he was excelling and the level in which the spirit energy in his body was kept, where each too high. In other words, his spiritual energy and pressure where literally crushing his physical being. Or his heart.

And even though I didn't quite understand it. I couldn't stand watching him...Suffer...And I couldn't help being hopeless. So as soon as his father was done explaining I began suddenly, "Is hew gowing to die?"

His father looks away and turns solemn, "Toshiro might not..Come out of this one."

That was general talk to a 5 year old that said, yeah, he's going to die. And that was because this was the final stage. His parents knew it was coming too. His heart just couldn't take anymore.

As young as I was I was still a prodigy which might have surprised a few. However, I worked best under pressure. And this, was a very pressuring situation.

"Mirroglacticcardio!" I said and surprisingly enough, my lisp did not touch this word one bit.

"What?" The man asked.

"Itw's a spewl that binds the hearwt functions of oneselwf to another. I learwned abwout it in a boowk. I..Couwld give my heawrt to youwr swon anwd...my heawrt rate an functions would be adopted by hiwm until I die." I suggest.

His eye widen as he looks at me sympathetically, "That's a big spell you happened to stumble upon. And listen, I know these situations are hard to deal with, but I don't think you know what you're saying.." He began.

"Doo...Do you luv youwr sown?" I asked. And I remember feeling kinda cool when I said this.

He nods, "Of course I do."

"The come onw, that's nothinwg to loowse!" I say.

* * *

And after that..He started paying attention to me more..Maybe it was because I saved his life. Or perhaps because I held it in my hands...But he always gave me a warmer aptitude and actually..I think..Considered me more than the others. Though his real personality was yet to be know, I did always feel like..I don't know..I was close to him.

I did find that he was better than me at everything...Which indeed, he was. So in time, a rivalry appeared. Mostly from my want to dominate him.

But really, nothing of our childhood compared to the anniversary celebration when we where in 6th grade. However, since grades 5-12 are able to attend, there was one anniversary celebration before that eventful second celebration. This one was a lot more..Light-hearted. But..Not quite as creative.

* * *

_The days before the celebration_

As I walked past the billboard I noticed a ton of people where hovering around it's message. When I pushed through the crowd, I saw the message and decided it was irrelevant to me.

The message read, 'All students who are couples must right their names on this form below. If not, during the celebration you may be separated by 10 kilometers at all times'. What the hell where these people planning?

And then came the day, when I got my message in the mail. It was really an invitation that told you what sort of costume to get and hints on what's going to happen at the party.

I lay back on the bed and open the envelop. So then, this is my first invitation...Upon opening it, I find the card is enchanted. Because immediately a whole bunch of confetti just explodes in my face. And a bit irritated, I snag the invitation out of the envelop and throw it to the ground. As I stare down at the piece of paper, I can see it's decorated with huge golden letters and there are flower embellishments all the way around.

So with a curious eyes I pick the invitation up again and begin to read it.

"The theme for you is definitely hanfu.

Though they once where hard to find,

You will see the selection is far less refined.

Be careful though,

Because you never know.

Siblings might be,

On on a different team than thee," I read aloud.

"The hell is this? A riddle? What the hell is a Hanfu?" I asked.

"Karin, Karin! Look at my invitation!" Yuzu says, busting through the door and inviting herself in.

"It says,

The theme for you is 17th century,

Though today you're of any penitentiary.

Ladies, dress as a wench,

Or the gentle men, tunics and Jerkins,

For the night draws near and you both must be prepared,

For the midnight for which your hearts will be ensnared.

Be careful though,

Because you never know,

Siblings might be,

On a different team than thee," She proclaimed.

My eyes widened as I snatched her invitation from her.

"Hey!" She says, grasping at it. I hold it up so she can't reach it and shove my invitation in her hands. As we both read over the other's invitation we confirm it.

"We're on.." I began.

"Different teams." She finished.

We both laughed, "This is going to be interesting," I said.

"How many teams do you think there are?" She asked.

"I don't know..Just two probably. But now I see why they put that message up on the billboard. They didn't want to separate the couples, otherwise it would ruin their night," I say.

"Yeah," She agrees.

"Hey, I have soccer practice, would you mind going out and buying my costume while I'm gone?" I ask.

"Sure." She says.

I suppose it really didn't change a thing, being on different teams I mean..But I guess that's because, at the moment we where sisters, not enemies.

"So you're looking for a..Hanfu..Right? I'm sure we can get the store keep to make one for us since he knows mom," She suggests.

"No, no, I don't care if mine looks like everyone else's. We shouldn't try to attract attention on our first celebration. I mean, we're going to be the youngest at the party," I inform.

"Well yeah but...Alright, alright, I'll just buy something regular," She says obediently.

"Thank you."

* * *

But of course that was lie. And when she came in with my hanfu, I was stunned by what she had made the costume store own make for us.

Hanfu where Chinese clothing that...Well they looked like sleeveless dresses that touched the ground. And then a separate kimono looking jacket came with it. When you put it on you could tie up the jacket with a sash and it'd look just like a slim kimono. Sometimes the jackets could be short, only to your waist, and others could be as long as the dress itself; those where the ones you could tie to look like kimonos. But this one that Yuzu gave me, all crisp and clean in its little transparent baggie, was absolutely...Well stunning..But not something that she found on the rack for 19.95.

"Yuzu!" I glare at her, "You made the story keeper sew this for us!"

"No! He offered it," She says.

I paused and tilted my head, "Huh?"

"When I went in Mr. Urahara stopped me and talked about how this was out first anniversary celebration...And then he just..Gave me these," Yuzu explained.

"How much you wanna bet mom put in a custom order to Hat n' Clogs before the event?" I asked her.

"Probably so..Mom always does little things for us." Yuzu smiles.

"Yeah.." I say.

Yuzu's outfit was actually based in the Renaissance clothing of 17th century England. That being said, she actually had to wear a mask. I didn't, thankfully, because it seemed as though my costume was from early 17th century, mainland China. So I was on the opposite side of the world and my cultures didn't require masks.

Yuzu's dress was just like her, actually. And even though she was supposed to be a 'wench' the dress actually looked quite quaint.

"Actually, even though they said we have to be wenches, they had outfits for a gypsy and duchess there too," She said.

But this dress was...Much more than any of those.

The dress was fairly simple. Long, outstretched sleeves. And a green ribbon that wrapped around the waist, starting just bellow the breast and crossing in the center, and once more around the rib cage and tied into a bow. The dark, midnight evergreen color suited Yuzu, and also the age in which the dresses where worn. He mask was one kept on a stick like a puppet. It was green and slick with two ribbons hanging off from its side. But it seemed as though I was learning more and more about these times because my hanfu was...So much more intricate.

Red...Red...RED! Why was everything so red! The strapless dress was scarlet red, the sleeves the same color! Everything was red, red, red! The sleeves, Yuzu said, where actually not meant to be tied, they where mean to hang over my shoulders. Strangely enough, the hanfu was made of what seemed to be silk and was think in it's color. Edged into the fabric where drawings of snake-like dragons swirling around in the clouds..And ever once in a while..A tree rooted in those clouds with some kids playing by it. I got it now, back then dresses where just like tapestries; works of art. How did hat n' clogs get his hands on this?

The sleeves where...solid red with no illustrations. However, along the hem of the fabric was a thing line of black silk that was sullied by red swirls of color, it reminded me of running water of some sort..What it looked like, for some reason. But this water was..Blood red. Could the dress be telling a story?

"Take it back." I say.

Yuzu fiddles with her dress as she tries to tug it out of the baggie, "Why, they where made for us so-"

"Look at how much work is put into this! It definitely wasn't made yesterday. It's probably expensive! Something this exquisite shouldn't be worn," I say.

"Mom probably paid Mr. Urahara well for it then! Come on, this is a gift from her, give a chance. Try it on," Yuzu encourages.

"No we have to take it back-"

"Stop with that, already. It's not like the store will take it, it's already been paid for," She said, "And fine then, don't try it on, but you're wearing it to the celebration."

* * *

And reluctantly, that's what I end up doing. Despite how big it looked in the bag, it actually looked as though it was made to pool around me; it was made to be overly long. Yuzu said that the dress suited me..But I don't think any dress is right on me. It just feels..Weird. The way it's so smooth but so light and breathable. It's really strange because the fabric looks heavy. And the sleeves look so strange on me, I mean, I look like I have wings!

But ok, I looked better when Yuzu tried to do something with my hair. Which apparently took her 1 hour..Honestly I didn't notice because I was too ecstatic about everything else. What was my first celebration going to be like? And though I was ashamed to admit it, I was really excited.

Yuzu somehow got a hold of a ton of red hair accessories and black hair extensions. Though it was obvious she bought them, I decided not to bring it up. Because she was working so hard with her hair spray and bobby pins that I figured I shouldn't disturb her.

When she was done, I really couldn't believe it. Somehow she'd braided a few strands of my hair and coiled that with everything else into a bun, and she used the long, black hair extensions behind my ears so that it looked like I had two long strands of hair hanging down on my shoulders. She should be a hair stylist; this was really good.

She had clipped this ornament on my hair that looked like a small tiara with red jewels attached to it. That officially made me look really girly. And though I was really thinking this look was not me, the care Yuzu put into everything rather than her own outfit was really outstanding and it showed just how selfless she was. So I couldn't help but keep it on.

"Ok, now for the part you're not going to like," Yuzu began, turning behind her and fumbling with some stuff.

When she turned around, in one hand was a cosmetic brush and in the other, a round blush container.

"Makeup time!" She says happily.

My eyes widen, "No..No no no no! I'll wear anything- do anything but that!"

"Come on Karin, it's not that bad!" She laughs.

I hope out of the chair in front of the mirror and pick up the slack of my dress, running as fast as I can down the hall. As I round the corner, to the kitchen, I swerve around the dinning table as Yuzu trails behind me. I run past Ichigo, eating ramen and watching tv.

"Makeup?" He asks with a mouth full of noodles.

"Yep." I say zooming by.

I turn and circle around the couch again and again, Yuzu still following behind me, all the time Ichigo says, "Well you're gonna have to wear it eventually..Right? And will you stop running in circles! I can't watch Tv!"

I zoom over to the bathroom and lock myself inside.

Yuzu pounds on the door, "Come on Karin, it's not that bad!"

"You already said that!" I say.

"Well I'm not leaving until you agree to let me put it on you," She pouts.

"Blush only." I propose.

"Blush a lipstick." She says.

"Lipgloss and you have a deal," I say.

She agrees and as I stumble out of the bathroom, I glance over at Ichigo who hasn't gotten ready for the celebration yet.

"Ichigo, aren't you going to the anniversary?" I ask.

"Na, dad needs help with the clinic..He's got work to do concerning the academy," He says.

Academy. Karakura Academy. The only whole-town school, was being prosecuted by the government of Japan. And it's a wonder how we've kept on as long as we have. And not only that, we have so many students! From so many different places! I didn't actually think people would want to come to an academy like this, but training your spirit energy seems to be getting pretty popular amongst the schools.

"Eh? You can't do that Ichi-nii! All students are required to attend!" Yuzu explains.

"People don't go all the time. Some have to study, some get sick, really people can't do anything about it if you don't want to go. They can't force you," He replies.

* * *

As Yuzu and I walk toward the high school elite's building, we're baffled by what we see in the streets. People, Hundreds, thousands maybe, gliding along the streets. Some in mid-evil dresses with masks held in front of their faces, other with hair ornately done up in twin buns and sauntering around in their kimono-looking hanfu. But of everyone around us, not one had costumes that where even remotely similar to ours. Ok, so almost all the hanfu where dark blue, red, or pink. And nearly all of the gowns where Brown, dark brown, green, or navy blue, but they all looked so very..Plain. Some even, weren't even realistic looking(and the point of the costumes is to look realistic). The hanfu where clipped so that they only reached some girl's knees. And then other guys wore bright orange vests or something like that.

And that's when it came to mind. Boy...Toshiro's a boy so...It made me think, what team is he on? Where will he be? Is he even coming? I remember what Ichi-nii said.

Inside the building, it was even more spectacular. The seniors used magic to manipulating the ball room into a large clay room with gray, cracked tile. All the way around the room where wood tables with food all over them. But this food wasn't small, dainty morsels. It was full of whole chickens and chunks of meat...Lots and lots of meat. In the corner they had punch and cake, but they really went out of the way to make the mood seem..Mid-evil.

"All the Chinese head this way!" I hear people direct. "That means you in Hanfu, twit."

To the left, the grand doors where pushed open and two seniors in tunics with hats that red, 'seniors' where motioning everyone outside into the midnight air.

"I guess this is where we part ways," I tell Yuzu.

"See you later then," She replies.

I wave goodbye and follow the crowd of people in Hanfu. When I step out into the night time air, I seem to be in a different world. There are seniors everywhere, twirling staffs blazing with fire. And torches all around also glowed with fire. Then in the far right corner, housed on very curvy ebony dinning tables, where tons of different Chinese foods. A lot less meat than inside, more vegetables and noodles. But in the far back, the last tables where filled with Chinese sweets and cake with punch.

To the left, there was a very large wooden stage. And when I glanced back inside, I saw they also had one too, but it was painted white. And besides that, the grass was the dance floor, and the field continued past the torches, to a lake where some couples where already laying down and gazing at the moon together. This was obviously created by magic.

The guys in their hanfu looked so silly. Some of them wore pants and just a kimono top. But those who's moms probably picked their outfit, wore the traditional hanfu. Which was exactly the same as the girls. Except for it was reversed. There was a long kimono, and on top of it was a sleeveless vest. They looked like girls in my opinion.

When I looked around, not one's outfit had the details mine did. None had any pictures either. Just a continuous cluster of flowers or fruit...

"Welcome one and all to the 2009, 14th anniversary of Karakura Academy's beginning! As you can see, the theme for the entire night is 17th century! You all have been placed on teams which represent the two sides of the world at the time. There will be a series of challenges for each team. And the each challenge won will grant a team a point. By the end of the party; the team with the most points is, to put it frankly, better than the other. You do not have to participate in the challenges if you do not wish to do so. But no matter what you decide to do, the seniors of 2009 hope you have a spectacular evening," The voice of a man sounded over the speakers.

"So all can have a better view of your friendly rivals, we have cast a spell on the left side of the building so that it appears transparent. For your safety, we have tinted the see through walls red so that you will not accidentally slam into them, thank you, the seniors," A girl this time read aloud. It seemed like she was reading a letter. But the instant after she said this, the building wall was replaced with a red film which allowed me to visibly see the whole other part of the party from where I was standing.

The contests where apparently hosted on the stage and flip flopped from the England team to the China team. The first contest, was a hula-hoop contest hosted by the China team. All England team members that wanted to contend could go to the China team's stage, however, none of them could go there just to dance outside. But the lake was 'mutual territory' so anyone could go at anytime...That made People in English team constantly zoom through our dance floors. I was not good at hula hooping so I didn't contend.

From the other side, in the English party, the stage had been occupied by musicians that played upbeat music. But what made me turn was the violin solo. I love the sound of violins. But this tune was beautiful, a fast, high pitched fiddle. Quick. And just so very elegant.

But who ran the the bow down the strings of the dark violin was unbelievable...I didn't know that he played. But as I watched, he seemed rather irritated that he was doing this, but he stood up just the same and focused on only the strings, frowning as he vigorously pulled the bow two and from strings. And occasionally his hair would get in his face and it'd actually look like he was enjoying it, but honestly the whole time he was frowning..So I suppose he didn't like what he was doing.

God, he reminded me of Robin Hood. The way he wore those weird puffy pants and it actually looked ok on him...He looked Ok in that white, drape-y shirt...Actually I think he looks ok in anything...I mean, because he's never looked bad..Not because I think he looks good or anything...

While people inside where partying, people outside where screaming for China Team. I didn't know people where so competitive...The round was down to two and they where still hula hooping away. The seniors would occasionally ask them to do crazy things like hula hoop on one knee or take two steps to the right. And after about 3 minute; neither person's hula hoop fell to the ground. So after 10 minutes had past they called it; a draw. Neither team got the point.

* * *

The score was 8 to 3 . China was beating England by 5. And really I didn't care. All I wanted was for Toshiro to notice me. This was the time for the England team to host the contest, so a Hitsugaya clear his violin out and headed toward the back of the building, girls swarmed him like bees to honey.

I couldn't hear what they were saying, but they were all smiling and laughing, trying to rub up on him. Poor guy though, he didn't seem the least bit interested, in fact he seemed kinda annoyed and confused. Also tired. As if to say, "Why me?".

When he finally tugged away and made it over to the back transparent wall. He pulled a violin case from behind a large vase and places his violin inside it. When he pulled back a large group of guys about out age greeted him. They talked for a bit and Toshiro shook his head. The guy at the head of the group step forward and seemed to be pleading something. Hitsugaya looked away and when he did this, he just barely managed to snag a glimpse of me staring at him. At first I think he didn't recognize me. But while the guys where talking to him, he kept darting his eyes back to me, and eventually, I think he figured it out. And as the guys walked away, he gave me a slight smirk and walked toward the stage once more. He wasn't planning..To compete? But if that where the case, I can't let him win, at anything!I can't let him be better than me!

I started to walk for the stage as well, but my arm was snagged. When I turned to look, I really couldn't tell if I knew the person..But it was a girl with a senior hat on. She was twirling two flaming stick in one hand.

"Hey, this is my contest, you mind taking over?" She asks.

"Wha?" I reply.

She throws the sticks at my and instantly the first disappears.

"Just pour your spirit energy into it and twirl it around." She says, sprinting for the stage.

How irresponsible could these people be? Leaving a 5th grader to do a seniors work. They're lucky I'm a prodigy and I don't burn easily.

Three events later, the girl didn't return. And I was stuck twirling these stupid sticks, watching Toshiro murder everyone with flying colors. By the time I saw the senior again, the score was 8 to 6. Toshiro had probably been asked by those guys to bring the score up. Well I'm gonna give him a run for his money.

"Hey! Sorry I got carried away," The girl waves me down.

I toss her the sticks and get up on the stage of the China team. People from the England team began to spill out of the doorway and among those, I could see Toshiro clearly. His eye caught mine for a second and they seemed to taunt me.

Oh crap, I forgot to ask what the contest was.

"Looks like we have a brave little girl here. So tell me, are you ready to take the shot?" The senior laughs into the microphone. What was the contest again?

"Karin!" I though I heard faintly. I turn left and right.

"Karin!" I hear again.

I look at the doorway and Yuzu is being block by the seniors from passing. But she manages to tell me, "What are you doing?" Before the seniors make her leave for the party once more.

"This is the first physical contest we've had of the night! No more hula hooping or limbo! No, when the gong sounds, a one on one fight without weapons will take place. Ropes will be placed around the stage for safety, but just to be wary, audience should stay a good 10 feet away from the stage for this even. All contestants will fight to the last standing. And this event is worth 2 points. Now before I begin, I'm calling for the last time, anyone else contending for England team?" The senior says.

The senior, had said this because, besides Toshiro, there where only 3 other guys. Quite muscular. But on my side, there seemed to be at least 6 or 7 that where all waving to the chicks in the crowd. 3 muscular guys where better than 7 playboys...I laugh to myself. What was Yuzu worrying about? I deal with guys like this all the time. And by guys I mean Toshiro. I could guarantee you he'll wipe out every guy behind me before I get done with on of these guys. Which means I'll have to make quick of all these guys. Because I can handle them, but when Toshiro comes on, there's the problem. If we're not one on one things might get complicated.

As the gong sounds I looked around all the faces. Who's the first to get? But before I can decide, Toshiro already jumps over my and attacks on of my guys. I pick the one farthest to the left and choose him as my target. Impatiently, I strip off my sleeves/jacket and throw it on the open ground and move my need up.

"As I though it'll be difficult to move in this.." I say, twisting my arm back. While Toshiro is preoccupied with the guys behind me, the men in front of me seem to my snickering by how small their opponent is.

"Our little princess is going all out!" The senior said, "Good luck!"

Princess? I jump up to the left guy's head and kick him over. When I glide down to the ground, the other two are already trying to grab me, so I grab the nearest guy's hand and twist it behind his back and pull it to the ground so that he's forced to his knees. When he's down, I am kinda tall enough to reach his head, and with this I whack the vein on his neck and he knock out. The other guy that's getting up from being kicked over is heading at me from the right, the other from the left. When they're close enough, I duck down and trip the one on the right and push the other up against the ropes. Though apparently it was too strong a hit because he slips over the ropes onto my sleeves/jacket.

Just as I'm about to deal with the last one, as I suspected, I wasn't quick enough. Toshiro had already finished dealing with my team...But still I fought pretty good and pretty fast in a dress. Maybe because of how well it flowed. I don't know.

Immediately Hitsugaya turned and ran up to me. I kicked up the big guy that I just tripped up like a soccer ball and whacked the back of his neck as well so that he fainted. And quickly I pushed him to the side as I sprinted away from Toshiro.

"Running from me won't change the result of this," Hitsugaya says, quickly catching up to me even though I'm jumping and twisting and using people as stepping stools to try and buy time.

The suddenly, my footing slips and I stumble on my dress, landing right on my butt. The people in the crowd laugh, but some of them boo, and even others are cheering for Toshiro now, even though he's on the England Team.

He stops in front of me and offers his hand. He's always like this is a duel. He never really takes advantage of me when I'm down. I guess because it wouldn't really be a win. Or maybe because he's showing he can even win without that. I smile and take his hand, jumping backward.

Again, this time a bit more forward. I rush for him and pack a punch, he blocks it with his forearm. I pull back and swing a round house, he blocks it again. I try a palm strike; still no good.

"My turn," He says. And in one second he tries what absolutely works on girls in socks. He touches his hands to the ground and swings his foot hard underneath mine. And instantly I'm on the ground of the stage, the worst position.

He stands over me and proclaims, "Princesses belong it castles, crying out for their savors."

I glare at his and take my legs around him and trip his stands. I crawl up on top of his and blow a strand of hair out of my face, a strand of hair that was so carefully put into place me Yuzu.

"And Princes shouldn't talk so much," I reply.

There's a sort of tension now, and the crowd stops cheering, it like they're watching a movie, expecting something to happen. What the hell, it wasn't a romance movie so what where they looking for?

Why was it that it was so easy to match him this time? He should have bested me easily. So why..

I noticed then, that he was sweating. And no, not because he had defeated those guys. It was probably because of all the events he was in. The ones before the physical contests all had to do with spirit energy. And although he had a lot, to win every one took a lot. And now I bet his moves are slowing and it's hard to maneuver. I can't humiliate him like this..I can't win like this. I looked into his teal eyes for a minute, they where still..tired..But more, overworked, now. I don't think he's had any fun tonight..

I stand up and walk over to the senior.

"I forfeit." I say.

"Huh?" He asks, "But you just had him."

"Are you blind, take a look at him, he's panting like he's about to die and I didn't even do anything to him. He's been competing in so many events that it all built up. If I win, I don't really deserve it. He does. So go ahead and give it to him," I point to Toshiro who's just getting up groggily as if he was a drunk old man saying, "Where am I? What happened?" by the look on his face.

I walked of the stage and snatched my sleeve/jacket from beneath the guy I flipped over the ropes, put it on, and walk toward the lake. Everyone watching, those who danced the whole time even stopped to stare, as I walked alone, down to the midnight waters.

* * *

"So everyone's pretty pissed off at you for letting me get those points," I hear Toshiro say as he walks up behind me. I've been sitting down in the grass, just staring up at the moon for the longest time.

"Yeah well if they want those points they should've take them themselves." I said.

"So then, why'd you do it?" He asks.

"A win's not a win if it's not fair. That's what I always say. And a cheat, even when accidental, is still the act of a loser," I reply.

He leans up against the tree that's branches are shading me. He looks at the water for a long while and neither of us speak.

"So did you get your spirit energy levels checked out? I'm sure there's an emergency nurse around," I say after a moment.

"Do you really think someone like me needs that?" He questions.

"Well I know you need spirit energy, I can sense it! So you should stop being a stubborn ass and go get some from the nurse!" I yell, jumping up.

"Stop yelling, there are people trying to enjoy the view you know. And wasn't it always you that said to watch the language?" He still stares at the unmoved pure water in the lake.

"But you really should take some..But if you don't want to get the shots of energy that'd be a problem," And although I was an innocent little thing at the time I can't believe what I said next, "Hey! Why don't you take some of my spirit energy!"

Toshiro looks at my serious face and bursts out laughing. I don't think I've ever seen him laugh..The people around us stare at us blankly and he quiets down.

"Shhh...You know that's an illegal method," He says, putting his finger to his lips.

"Well yeah but I don't understand why. And really, how can anyone tell if it's a regular kiss or an energy drain in the first place. Come on! We're not going to get caught," I really can't believe I said that..but ok, I was a 5th grader, so cut me some slack.

"What makes you so sure that I know that method?" He asks.

"Oh quit bluffing. Every family teaches it eventually. It's like an illegal CPR. It helps or it makes things worse depending on how you use it. I know your family taught it to you from emergency reasons only, just like mine. I mean, come on, our dad's are basically the same. Now come on, don't chicken out!" He laughed.

"Have you been drinking?" He asks.

"Huh?" I question.

"'Cause the things you're asking me to do right now are totally not like you," He says, "I mean, isn't a first kiss supposed to be important to a girl?"

"How did you know it was my first kiss? And since when do you know about me?" I argue.

"It's obvious really, because you haven't made a move. That suggests you don't know what to do. And I've known you since you where 5, I think I picked up on a few things," He explains.

"Well what about you? You haven't made a move either!" I point out.

"That's because I don't want to kiss you, fool." He says.

Ouch..For some reason the was cruel..

"So then, you've kissed other girls before," I said.

"You're sharp, like always. But that's only after you've been so dense as to not notice," He says, not making eye contact anymore.

Somehow this...hurts me. What where we dating? No! So why..Maybe because we where something of friends and he didn't tell me about anything...Did he ever have a girlfriend before? Was the kisses with other girls just a fan girl attacking him, or as he the one asking for it or even the one kissing..I was so foolish when I was young. To think of things like that.

I don't answer and look at the ground. He can read me so well, yet I don't even bother to know or observe anything about him. Am I really self absorbed?

"Well Toshiro, though you don't want my energy, if I asked for yours, would you give it to me?" I asked.

"What?" He questioned.

"Would you give it to me, or better yet, offer it to me in my time of need?" I specified.

"What are you talking about I-"

"In exchange for rejecting me..You'll do it, right? It's a promise. And we'll never bring this up again." I was holding myself now and trying to hold back some sort of tears.

The thing was it wasn't the fact that I liked it. It was the demoralizing feeling of rejection. I guess because that was the first time I really tried to put myself out there(not really, but in a way) and I just got..Crushed a suppose. But I knew Toshiro didn't mean it that way. And I know I shouldn't have meant it that way either. It was to trade spirit energy, and he was saying he didn't need any, not that he didn't want to kiss me because I was gross or something..But still it sort of hurt.

He begins to say something, but he just ends up running his hand through his hair. If he says no, this would basically be an absolute confirm that he never plans on kissing me and that he really doesn't care about my feelings in the least. Not for him, but for myself, and as to whether I'm appealing or not. If he says yes, it means yes, I'm appealing..Just not really the person for him.

And by not ever bringing this up again. It meant the topic of anything to one another or anything related to it. Asking about what the other 'thinks of' them as, asking them if they are appealing to the opposite sex..Etc. And yeah, maybe in the future things about out relationship itself. We didn't really care if we where friends enough. Because it was good enough just having the other there.

"Yeah sure," He says. And I look up suddenly, smiling, tears flying from my eyes, "Just...Don't cry, ok?"

* * *

Somebody's yelling really loudly..Why do they keep yelling?

"Oh my fucking god...HELP! HELP! There's people here and..Oh, am I stupid! Radio headquarters this is Officer Rukia, please come in, over."

Rukia..Wasn't that Ichi-nii's fiance, the one I was sent to find but got Toshiro instead? Isn't she the girl Toshiro and I are training to find in the districts? Why is she here?

"Headquarters to Officer Rukia, what is the situation, over?" I head a static-y voice say and then snap off in a bleep!

"There's a girl here and a guy..I mean umm..Female approximately 5.4 and..I think Captain Hitsugaya...I mean a Male app-..Ah screw it! SHE'S DYING! Send and ambulance!" The girl yells.

* * *

And when I wake up, somehow my wound is all bandaged up and a girl is peering over me. That raven hair..That flabby bang in between her eyes..Those violet orbs...

It's..Rukia...RUKIA!

This is perfect, I snuck into enemy territory so easily! Now all we have to do is bust Rukia out of here and I'll be vice-Roy!

"And so..You see, this officer saved me and we managed to find new clothes, but, it seems after days of walking he just..Collapsed, and I did too from the blood loss," I said, lying.

"Oh, So that's why Captain Hitsugaya was missing for so long," She says, "He's in a different squad than I am, but he's been the talk of the district because he went missing..But now I see why," Rukia walks over to where Toshiro is sleeping and looks at him, "Poor boy, since he's so young and only inherited the position of captain, many people think he doesn't deserve the part of hasn't proven himself, so he was given foot soldier work like my jobs, arresting red light runners, drunk kids. He did all that and on top of the, the paper work for his squad. Though he never received respect and he always pulled their weight.." She said.

God, the way she said it made me feel sorry for him..

As I looked over Hitsugaya's sleeping face, I couldn't help but see how serene it was and smile a bit. He kept his promise, even with his memories erased..

I wrapped the blanket around me and spoke with Rukia, continuing to thread out a fake story until Toshiro awoke.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **

**Hey, sorry for the late update but I got a bit sick and didn't feel like writing for the past couple of days...You can expect an update next Saturday once again! However, I must inform you next week that I am heading on a two day vacation and that might push things back..I'll probably find time to write and everything will end up find but..Just in case, gotta let ya'll know the deets.**

**Ok, so that's what happened on Karin's side. That's her dream. And the last chapter was Toshiro's dream/memory flash. Like it? Have questions? Review!**

**Reviewers to thank:**

**meggie-moo s**

**Turtle-chan in Blue**

**yellowbutterfly93**

**XxCapturtheLightXx**

**PunkRockHolly**

**T.h.E.s.R**

**oOoHKoOo**

**Thanks ya'll!**

**Love ya,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


	10. Special: Cooking

Special: Cooking

**Author's Note: A friend of mine requested I write a hitsukarin one shot on cooking(I didn't ask why and neither should you), but I decided to just make it a chapter in this book. I've done this before in my other books...And I suppose you could call this chappy a side story. And well...I hope you enjoy!**

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* * *

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I was 9. And I was an elite elementary school student. Not only that, I was top of my class. However, there was one class that I was rapidly failing. And at that time I decided, although it was shameful of me, to get a tutor. This class I was failing, would become my downfall if I did not find help. This class..Was cooking.

I snorted a strand of my black hair out of my face.

"Again!" I say, holding my stirring thingy tight and slamming it back an forth in the bowl.

What was my stirring tool called again? I forget..Oh well..

I tried to stir the batter the best of my ability. But when I lifted the tool out of the bowl, one single line of watery batter ran from the tip of the tool which was, by now, crushed on either side from the intense smacking to the bowl. And when I look at the batter in the bowl, it's definitely mixed, in fact, I think I over killed it a bit..Because it was so thin that it all looked like milk..How was I supposed to make a cake out of this.

I through out the batter again and started with the eggs and flour.

"Could you tell me the cookbook measurements for water again, Mr. Tutor?" I ask. But he doesn't answer. Nor does he start to read the measurements..

"Mr. Tutor?" I questioned again. But when I look back at him, it's the same as always. He's fallen over on his butt and his clenching to the wall.

"You...You...Demon!" He says, scrambling off the ground and running out the cooking room.

I sigh and sling the cake batter off my hands, trying to wipe the sweat away from my forehead.

That's the 7th tutor I've scared away...Is the way I cook weird or something? Is it wrong to treat it the way I do? Mom told me once to respect cooking. So I'm respecting it by giving it my all and my full force and strength..Maybe that might be scary to the cooking majors who tutor me..Who knows..

I take my hair bandana out and untie the back of my apron. This just sucks...

Now who am I going to get to tutor me? That person was the last on the list...

I grab my bag and math book, opening the gray door out to the hallway.

Being the second best in the class gave me the privilege of special academic classes that excel beyond the other's student's capability. The top 10 in each grade got to participate in these classes. However, most of them where so smart they skipped out on all the classes. So I was really the only one who went to every one of them..

As I make my way past the window and to the math room, I stop and back up.

"That guy has the nerve.." I mumbled to myself.

Up in the tree, on the largest branch, Toshiro slouched over on his back and a book over his face, snoozing in broad daylight. Probably just proclaiming that he could do it, I doubt he's even tired.

I exit out the side door into the light. God it was bright at this hour, how can he be sleeping?

"Hey!" I say, walking up to him, "Math is starting!"

He lifts the book up and winces, glancing in my direction.

"Where you cooking?" He asks.

I stare at him. How did he..Figure that out? I can't let him know I have any weaknesses.

"N-no." I state, looking away nervously.

He shuts his book and yawns.

"You're terrible at lying," He says, jumping down from the tree.

He puts his hands in his pockets and strolls over to me.

When he gets face to face, he slides his finger across my nose. I jump back slightly and blink several times.

He shows his finger to me and I see it, that white powder.

"Next time, if you want to hide something, remember to wash your face," He informs.

I blush. How could I have missed such a simple step? Oh I'm so stupid!

"Having trouble with cooking class I suppose?" Toshiro questions, walking back over to the tree and plopping down beneath it.

"How did you know that?"

"Cooking is not in the schedule of extra curricular today. So the only way you could've done it was if you had a tutor," He explains, "So what happened to your tutor?" He asked.

"N-nothing.." I stutter.

"You chased him away, didn't you?"

"Stop doing that!" I yell.

"Doing what?"

"Reading my mind! Or whatever you do to figure me out," I specify.

"Well then don't be so easy to read," He says, looking through the window into the school building.

"Oh forget it. Just come on! Class is starting," I say.

"Fine, I'll tutor you.." He sighs.

"What?" I ask.

"Come on, you're practically beginning for it," He laughs, "Just remember to keep up with me," He says, getting back up and putting his hands in his pockets. Is he even..Good at cooking?

* * *

"Lighten up on the pressure and power you use when you stir," He says.

Reluctantly I lighten up on my stirring. I can't believe my rival is teaching me..

"More." He says.

I slow ever more.

"No, at that rate you'll snap the whisk," Toshiro sighs and walks over to me. He takes my hand in the whisk and slowly spins it in the bowl.

"Gently, cooking takes time and each recipe must be treated with care," He informs.

I watch carefully as he continues to help me. But when it finally dazes me, how close he was, I stop suddenly. He seems to notice and he steps away.

"Keep going," He says, "I'll start up the oven."

I slowly start to stir the white batter again. This time, I could actually feel the eggs disappearing in the batter and see the flour soak into the water and sugar.

After a few minutes, Toshiro calls me over.

"We're going to make icing," He explains.

"Eh? But can't we just buy it?" I ask.

"What's the point in fighting all the battles if your just going to cheat in the semi finals?" He replies.

Weird metaphor..But I got what he was saying..Why not make the Icing?

"So how are we going to-"

He dips his finger in this tiny bowl and pokes it in my mouth. Everything seems to freeze. What in the world?

"Taste ok?" He asked.

I snap out of my trance and nod, "Mmm hmm."

"Then we'll make this icing," He says, removing his finger from my mouth.

I gasp, "A warning next time?"

"All I did was put my finger in your mouth. Are you that childish?" He questions, grabbing the same ingredients he used to make the first sample of the icing.

"Pour the batter into the pan, would you," He commands, still fumbling in the cabinets for ingredients.

I walk over to the batter and bring it to the pan next to Toshiro. I take the wooden spoon next to it and tilt the bowl, letting the batter spill out. I used the spoon to help it move along. This time, the batter was much more thick and actually looked..Healthy.

When I'm sure I get as much as I can out of the bowl, I set it in the sink and walk back over to the pan. I dip my hand in the rounded batter and call, "Hey Hitsugaya!"

He turns curiously as I stick my finger in his mouth. His eyes widen as he seems to be rather appalled.

"Now who's childish?" I laugh.

Irritated, he grabs a hand full of flour and splashes it in my face.

I open my mouth in dismay and reach for the flour as well, but Toshiro blocks me.

"No way," He says.

I snort and take my other hand, trying to get to the flour again.

He grabs it, and pulls it behind my back, untying my bandana and using it as rope to bind my hands together.

"I might be your cooking teacher, but remember now, you're still number 2," He says with almost a faint sense of a smile on his face.

"I wasn't ready!" I argue.

"Ah, but the good warrior is always ready," He says, and then again, almost that smile.

Was he...Having fun?

"Not too bad," Toshiro said after he tried the first bite out the cake we made.

"Really? I mean, to tell you the truth..I've never gotten past the mixing part," I laugh.

"Well then this is pretty damn good improvement," He admits.

"Hey watch the language," I warn.

"You'll always say that, even though yours is just as bad as mine," He tells me.

"Well there goes math class..." I mumble.

He doesn't answer..And for a minute..I think I upset him. But I wouldn't know...

But what ends up happening...He puts his fork down and slides the chair back. He walks up to me and plants his hand in my hair.

"What a good student," He says, stooping down and smiling. This wasn't faint. It was real, he's winking at me.

I kinda wanna take a picture and post it on facebook. Look world!

Toshiro Hitsugaya just smiled! I put my hand to his head and the other to my own, "Are you sick or something?"

"Huh?" He slaps my hand away, "Of course not, you're the one who's screwed up."

I laugh and grin, "Yeah, I guess you're right.."

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**So sorry y'all. I was on vacation and had no internet. So sorry for the late update...Won't happen again. Like it? No? Yes? Review plz!**

**Reviewers to thank:**

**Thanks so much ya'll.**

**Love ya,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


	11. Schooled

Schooled

"Would you like to go shower?" Rukia asked Karin.

"Ah sure.. But.. Forgive me for asking, but who is my savior?" She asked.

"Oh, this is Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. He governs squad 10. And, since you're not from these parts, there are 13 squads for our district. And the captains are the highest ranking officers. You're lucky he found you, you know," Rukia smiled.

What in the world has Karin been telling her? I wobble up off the bed and hold my head in pain. The head ache must be a side effect of the draining.

"A captain, eh? Heh, the position suits him fine," She laughed, looking me in the eye before she disappeared into the showers.

Rukia tilts her head, probably wondering why Karin thinks that. She turns back to me and tends to me.

"Hitsugaya taicho, it was rather brave of you to rescue that girl, but it seems as though she's gotten a slight amnesia and doesn't know where she's from," Rukia explains, siting on the rolling stool next to my bed.

What lies has Karin been feeding her? I need to try not to contradict what she said. Rukia is the girl We're supposed to bring back, right? She's actually the person I took with me.

"Kuchiki, right?" I ask. Of course it's Kuchiki, she's a noble, everyone knows that name. But I need to act authoritative.

She nods.

...What am I going to say? If I say one thing that contradicts Karin's story than..

"...Um..Are you free at lunch today?" I asked. The hell am I saying?

"It's past lunch..But after my shift is over...Wait, are you asking me on a date?" She exclaimed.

I was going to say some sort of business meeting, but that works two..

"..Sure?" I ask/say weirdly.

She turns scarlet red and blushes, "..I..I um.."

The ticking of the shower water to the ground starts but then stops suddenly.

"Rukia-san! Could you please get me some clothes!" Karin yells.

"Oh..Umm sure!" She responds, rushing out the door, glad to me away from this awkward conversation.

I hear the shower curtains slide back swiftly, and suddenly, sprinting toward me, wet and definitely naked, was Karin. She angrily grabbed my shirt and lifted me up off the ground.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" She screams.

"What are you doing, cover yourself up!" I say, looking away.

"Oh don't act so innocent! You're asking out my brother's fiance!" She exclaims.

""The fuck! Cover yourself up, god!" I say again.

"Answer me and I will!" She says, shaking me, she seemed to not be aware of herself in the slightest.

"It seemed like a good idea, ok! Well can take her when she's in town! No one will notice if they think she's just on a date!" I say, covering my eyes, "Now please!"

She frowns and throws we back in the bed.

She turns around and says plainly, "This is a body! Why are you so afraid of it!"

I blush, "I'm not afraid of it! You yelled when you saw me naked!" I retort.

She started to get flush, "That's different! You were a noble in Karakura Academy! With all those girls rubbing up on you, this, was probably seen several times over!" She snapped.

"You would never even think twice about them..And you just, stare at me in disgust? And tell me to go away?" She looked down, rather embarrassed now.

She was jealous, I could see now. But why? Jealous of who? Rukia? The girls in the past? I couldn't fit my head around this..Girls in general I couldn't figure out. Great, now I look like a jerk for not wanting her to expose herself. How in the hell did this happen?

She turned and ran back for the showers, not looking back at me in the slightest.

I get up and grab her hand, starting to say something, but I suppose she slipped on the wet tiles of the shower room, because she does the worst thing possible for this situation. She fell.

And great, now my head hurts more because it just slammed up against the floor tile. Just brilliant, too, all of the waterproof bandages on Karin's stomach started to slide off as she struggles to get up off me. This position, was totally wrong. She's trying not to let her wet hands slip on the tile, or her knees slip either, because she's bonk heads with me as soon as that happened.

"I'm not disgust," I began, "I think.." I can't speak for myself in the past..Because I don't know him, "I didn't care about those girls, what they did with their bodies. But you, you need to definitely be more aware of your body. I don't want you to do that because I care about you," My eyes widen, what did I just say? That sounded strange..

The door to the hall way opened slowly. And in on blink, Karin's put me back in my bed and she's already back in the showers.

"I brought you your clothes, Karin!" Rukia began, "Just tell me when you need them!"

Karin does answer.

"Ok?.." Rukia began turning back to me. Her eyes widened by how wet I was, "What happened?"

"I ah..Think I'm getting a fever? Yeah a fever." I say awkwardly.

"Oh..I'll go get some medicine then," Rukia says, rushing out the door.

"You know, you did this once before," Karin began, "Rejected me instinctively. But I think what you just said proves to me..That you weren't trying to be a jerk.."

"Really?" I ask.

"The old you, was always I know it all, and you never told anyone about your feelings. This gave you a rather cold look, and I always thought it was hard because you kept everything in. But..You always paid special attention to me, and maybe it was because I gave you my heart, but you always taunted me and led me to do better. I hated you for always being ahead," She laughed, "Childish, right?"

What was this weird..Nostalgic feeling coming on?

"I wish I could've just caught it in time. Helped you before all this happened. Now you're basically a criminal to my people, and even though your crimes will be lifted after we capture Rukia, the town will alienate you, I know it. Damn it, why did everything have to turn out this way?" Now I think she was kind of talking to herself.

"In that case, I just won't stay at the settlement," I began, "If they're really that uncomfortable with me, I'll just leave, it's not as if I can't go to another district and start over."

"There you go again, hurting yourself for other's benefit. In fact, I bet you took Rukia and killed my mom for our benefit...No. This time, you're going to be the one we're going to help," She says, burst out of the shower again, "We're gonna help you! Even if I have to make them!"

"Ah...uh..Emm..Karin," I say.

"Oh right," She says looking down and jumping back in the shower.

"..Not gonna let them get away with shit!" She yells from the shower.

I laugh, she's serious about keeping her town on a leash. Though it's apparent people are gonna talk. I think it's fine though, not knowing who I am, they won't be really talking about me, but someone else. That's the reason I'm doing all this..To learn who I am.

I slam my head back on the pillow, all this crap about magic and me killing someone is just starting to phase me. And it's pretty amazing.

Rukia comes back into the room in a hurry, "Hitsugaya taicho! There's a new order for you, may I read it now?" She says, holding on tight to a piece of paper in her hand.

"Please," I say.

She opens it up and reads clearly,

"A drug bust at Oanswer Public school is going into effect. The following officers have been chosen for their skills and appears as this is an undercover operation and the said officers will be playing the roll of high school students in various grades," She began.

"The officers for the 9th grade:

Haruhi Hana

Captain Soifon

Hotaru Inoue

and Rukia Kuchiki!" She said in exasperation. Not only was their a captain that group, but she herself was on this mission.

She read on,

"The officers for the 10th grade:

Lieutenant Hinamori

Captain Hitsugaya

Alice Sakura

and

Hikari Yuki," She began, "Another captain? And a Lieutenant?"

She continued,

"Officers for the 11th grade:

Lieutenant Abari

Lieutenant Hisagi

and Captain Ichimaru," She said.

"Officers for the 12th grade:

Lieutenant Mastumoto

Captain Tosen

Captain Ukitake

Captain Unohana

and Captain Kuchiki!" She exclaimed.

"The following is an absolute and all said officers must report to the stations immediately to receive their school uniforms and general high school necessities," She finished.

"Hisugaya-taicho! That's nearly all of our top officers! This is insane, we're leaving the department completely open!" She began.

"I agree, and what type of drug busts needs nearly all the captains? There's something strange going on.." I say.

"But I don't get it..Why would the order takers give us this job-"

"Rukia-san! I remember where I'm from! Can you hand me my clothes," Karin yelled from the shower.

When Karin was done putting on her clothes, she exclaimed the Rukia as she stepped out of the shower.

"I'm a student at Oanswer academy!" She smiled.

What in the world was she planning?

* * *

**Author's Notes: Hey there, I had to do some improve for this chapter, but..Hope you like it!**

**Reviewers to thank:**

**Thank ya'll so much for reading!**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


	12. VOTE!

** Hey there! I'm sorry but this story, along with all my others, has been suspended until further notice. I know you all have been waiting for a new update, however, my summer break is coming to an end. And I was unaware, when I posted to hiatus message, that as soon as I returned from cam, I would only have 8 days until school started. So unfortunately, I cannot fulfill my promise..There will not be a chapter for this story or any of my others until I get settled into my new school. In fact, even if I settle in properly, I'll probably be too stressed to update anything but one story a week. SO! You need to go to my profile and vote for your favorite story of mine! I will update it this Friday! Then on Monday I will have a new pole posted in which you may vote again for which story I should update for that week. And so on and so forth. SO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE! Or you might not get an update on this story for months! Or maybe even until next summer!**

**Thanks for voting,**

**~*RukiaRocks*~**


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